


Blind Joy

by ninecupcakes



Series: Blind Art [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dreamtale, Alternate Universe - Errortale, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Blood, Depression, Hallucinations, Imprisonment, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Torture, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Torture, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2018-12-13 00:09:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 122,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11748048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninecupcakes/pseuds/ninecupcakes
Summary: Ink is gone, Dream is broken, Error is lost beyond help and Nightmare is unrivaled; the balance is merely pending on the few people that have survived the catastrophe.One has to wonder if it is possible to restore the hopes of someone who has been ripped from their will to live.Especially if that someone was never meant to lose hope.





	1. Sweet Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy, here we go.
> 
> Let me assure you, this one is way darker than the first. Prepare your tissues because this is gonna be one heck of a feel trip.
> 
> If you're new to this, you'd better read the first part if you want to know what is going on.
> 
> Also I had to write this on my phone too so notify me of any typos plox.
> 
> All good? All settled? Awesome, let's hop on.

It definitely was better off there.

Dream took a small step back to have a better view of the stone wall in front of him. He had been taken off-guard when the note stuck itself to the wall; Ink had truly made that little place for the mere purpose of saving the story of his life there.

It was heartbreaking.

The last remaining note stood out in the middle of the cave, telling a story that Dream would never forget even if a part of him begged to have it erased from his memory. He didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing, but he was doing it for Ink, not for himself. It was all he could do.

He sighed heavily as he turned around, but not before having one last glance at the many depressing pages and unmotivated sketches that filled the little grotto. Notes of helplessness were contrasted by others of hopefulness, unfinished sketches mirrored the more motivated ones. He didn't know when that had happened, he didn't know why or how, but he did know that Ink had put his heart into not giving up that time.

Too bad he hadn't been able to get over everything else as easily... but there were things that simply could not be stopped.

He looked over his shoulder to look at the page he had saved for the last time; the glow of the sketchy crystals at the entrance illuminated the words in a light neon coloration, much like it illuminated everything else. Something wrenched inside him as he watched, and lowered his hurt gaze.

"...I'm sorry."

He forced himself to walk away, because the strength of grief was preventing him from moving at all. The wrench became painful enough to make him want to cry, but he got a hold of himself as he stepped outside. Tears brought nothing but pain.

He glanced at the sky, still holding a storm that would never come. It seemed like it was darkening, yet the greyscale terrain below was not shrouded by the same darkness above. It was strange, puzzling. In the far distance, one could still see bits of the world ascending into the air, disintegrated; yet, they never came any closer, acting like a barrier.

Dream sighed.

It was time to go.

A part of him tried to relieve him by reassuring him that Ink was most likely in a better place; someone such as him didn't deserve to live in a world where everything was hopeless and with dangers waiting behind every corner, he didn't deserve a world without thriving universes. Yet, something else told him that he deserved better, that everyone's efforts together could have given him the last push he needed.

It was difficult to speculate... but what was done was done. He couldn't spend the rest of his life grieving over yet another mistake; he wasn't a walking miracle, and he knew it. What was out of his reach was out of it no matter how much he wished it wasn't. Afraid, distraught people counted on him, and he wasn't going to let them down again.

He moved his ponderous gaze away from the cloudy skies, and took a relieving breath in. Ink had done what he had to do, hadn't he? That was enough... or at least, so told his last smile.

Of course, things weren't bound to turn in the right direction so easily when a certain monster was on the hunt, but Dream fought to keep his mind away from that. He didn't need anything else to worry about; it would only make things worse. Nightmare didn't know where the Omega Timeline was as far as he was concerned, and every survivor was housed there. It would all be alright once he reunited with them...

A laugh, though rather high pitched, sent a shiver through his spine. It was reminiscent to that of a hyena, with slight echo, drenched in malice. Not one, but two giggles, then three, that began darkening into ill-willed chuckles.

Dream turned around in alarm at the unfamiliar sound, only to take a surprised step back when he was met with the dark silhouettes of three... Papyruses? Dark replicas of the tall, irascible skeleton from the no longer existent Underfell, to be specific. Only their fanged mouths, their eyes, and their differed scars were white among their shadowed forms.

The jagged bones in their hands were more than a little worrying, and the only reason why Dream hadn't taken a friendly approach at first. Those skeletons weren't looking forward to be friends.

Internal alarms blaring, the caped skeleton cautiously turned around, only to jolt as more shrouded figures happened to be standing behind him.

For some reason, they were...really familiar... and not in a good way.

Dream couldn't help but gasp when more skeletons awaited at the entrance of the cavern as he glanced at it, forcing him to back away from it. It was like they were multiplying; there were at least ten of them in front of him and by his side, all of them grinning, and suddenly, a brief memory flashed past him.

...

_Oh no._

Dream tried to turn around and run away, but came to a terrified stop when even more skeletons came out of nowhere to block his only escape route. Before he could even tell, he was surrounded by familiar skeletons who wanted nothing but to hurt him. Some of them carried jagged bones, some wielded short swords, and they were most definitely not letting the trapped skeleton escape.

"W... what do you want?" Dream nearly shrieked, panic rising as the skeletons that surrounded him grinned further.

_**"Well, well, well, what have we here?"** _

The terrified skeleton whirled around as the voice he knew all too well chuckled behind him; if he had any real heart, it would have stopped at the sight of an all too content Nightmare between the surprisingly menacing specters of someone who was meant to be a cheerful being throughout the multiverse.

 _ **"Where are your little friends, Dream?"**_ the dark entity smirked, some of the skeletons around him giggling ominously. _ **"Aww, did they leave without you? How sad... Heh heh heh."**_

Dream took a step back, but he instinctively glanced back at the barrier of dark skeletons preventing him from escaping. It wouldn't be strange for one of them to mostly literally backstab him to leave him even more helpless than he already was.

_**"̛Get͞ ͡h̵įm."** _

He was given no time to react before his arms were seized by two of the specters behind him, and another one didn't take long to wrap its arm around his battered ribcage as its clawed hand took hold of the top of his skull, forcing him to look up at the laughing mass of tar.

He writhed against their grasp, panicking, hopelessly shrieking at them to let him go, but the dark beings proved to be too strong, their hold relentless. It wasn't like Dream could put up much of a fight, anyways. He had managed to heal nothing, and the tragedy was still weighing him down. There was nothing he could do to break free.

Panic numbing him, he only stopped struggling when Nightmare began to pace towards him, a sick grin drenched with the will to hurt plastered in his face as he approached. Unbridled terror was paralyzing him, though he tried to back away when his brother walked past him.

 _ **"No need to get so worked up,"** _ Nightmare casually said, grinning further as he saw pure fear taking over his little sibling. _ **"This doesn't need to end in violence, as long as you don't do anything stupid."**_

Dream stopped trying to get away from the skeletons behind him, shivering.

He didn't know what to do.

 _ **"You remember what I told you, right? That all I needed was for one to be weak?"** _ Dream flinched slightly when Nightmare slowly paced past him again, fearful eyes fixated on his monotonous movements. _ **"So where is the problem? You already are weak, there is no need to hurt you. All you need to do is give up and let me take what belongs to me."**_

Dream made one last attempt to free himself, but the shadowed skeletons wouldn't let go. He had to stop when the pressure against his frail ribs increased enough to make him wince at the pain, and he gave his brother a defiant glare.

"I'll never give up," he confidently stated. "People's hopes are not yours to take!"

Nightmare merely chuckled at his courage. _**"See... there is a reason I'm even giving you a choice."** _ He approached, though scarcely at strike distance. _**"I'm feeling nice today. I suggest you don't throw this little mercy down the drain."**_

He turned away from him. The Papyruses had broken the circle as it wasn't a high probability that the wounded skeleton would escape anymore.

_**"I want you to actually think about this. Do me that little favor, hm?"** _

Dream could only lower his gaze, lost and frightened. He should have listened to Core... he should have let it go... He wouldn't be in such a mess then. He had no way to free himself, especially not in his condition; he had nothing and no one to aid him. He could only wait for disaster to strike...

 _He should have listened_.

_**"Let me ask you something. Would you live in a world where everyone is hopeless, where everyone hates each other as you try to help them all in vain, or would you rather be unable to care about what happens to them and find your own happy world away from everything?"** _

"...none." Dream muttered after a regretfully pensive silence, causing the other to give him a dangerous side glance.

 _ **"̢Y̨o͝u do͜n't ͠have͟ ͞any oth́er͡ ͜ch̸ói̷ce̡."**_ Nightmare snarled, closing the distance between them again. _**"I'm actually trying to help you here, so you'd better tag along if you don't want things to end badly for you."**_

Dream shrunk, specters at the ready to stop him if he tried to get away.

 _ **"You always make a big production out of everything. In the end, it will be best for you not to care about anyone. Imagine how much you'd suffer if you were the only one who cared."** _ He chuckled heartlessly, and the smaller skeleton tried to look away only to be forced to meet the hateful blue glare by the Papyrus holding his skull.

_**"It's so simple. All you need to do is let go of everything you vainly protect, and we will be done and over with. It's the victims who decide whether or not it will be painful; they surrender? Good for them. They fight back? Well, their mistake. Besides, I'm pretty sure you don't want this to end badly, now do you?"** _

Dream risked a glance at the many shadows around him, taking note of the weapons that they wouldn't hesitate to torture him with if Nightmare commanded so.

But he would have to make his own choice, because he was not letting his brother take his literal will to live, the multiverse's last hope.

"You will never take that power." Dream dared to defy, though Nightmare did not seem surprised and responded with an empty chuckle. Yet, he seemed pleased with his answer.

_**"I knew you would be stubborn enough. This could have ended well for the both of us, but if it's pain what you want, then we will respect your choice."** _

His voice grew colder as he stepped back, letting one of the Papyruses walk towards his defenseless brother. Dream tensed when the other three took a firmer grip, and felt a numbing wave of panic run through him when the approaching shadow unsheathed a small sword from its belt.

He was too horrified to notice the look of insecurity on its face, how some others seemed to shift nervously with almost worry while the rest grinned cheerfully and expectantly along with their content leader.

"N-no... s... stay away from me! S-stop! Please!"

His pleas as he uselessly struggled went unheard by the skeleton, who, almost as if it were holding back, raised the blade ready to hurt without killing. Dream couldn't even care about the pressure against his ribs, the sharp claws against his skull; every inch of him told him to do the impossible to get away from the incoming pain, to get away from the disaster.

He didn't know how, but in a burst of panic, he managed to push one of the skeletons seizing his arms in front of him.

Right as the other struck.

A teary, golden gaze could only stare for a few seconds that went by in slow motion; the sword sliced through the Papyrus' dark battle body, not causing any scream but utter shock as it disintegrated into pitch black dust.

Guilt crowded the caped skeleton; he hadn't meant for that to happen, he didn't even know how his frail little body had even managed to push the taller, much stronger skeleton.

But he couldn't afford to care. The other two had loosened their grip.

"Get away from me!" he bellowed, writhing free of the weakened grasp and rushing away as fast as his damaged leg could take him. He couldn't risk going to the Omega Timeline while he was being mercilessly hunted down; it would be like gift-wrapping the entrance to it. He would have to take refuge on any nearby universe and hope Nightmare would eventually give up, but the doors weren't at all close to where he was.

He was brought to a full stop when a barrier of black bones emerged from the earth right in front of him, just inches away - the voice that came after, though, terrified him more than the fact that he had nearly been impaled.

 _ **"̨Do̴ ͏N̶ÒT̶ ͝let h͡i̕m͏ es̸c͜apę!̶"**_ Nightmare furiously roared, and golden pupils contracted at the sight of the many specters going after him, weapons in hand.

He was practically forced to get over the shock by his racing instincts as he rushed around the barrier, looking frantically for a door that wasn't broken or worn out. Any signs of multiversal life were far away, and he doubted he'd be able to reach them in time. There were at least twenty entities out to get him, and one of them was especially devoted in catching him.

If only he had his weapon...

He narrowly evaded two skeletons lunging at him, nearly running into a swift swipe from another one in front of him whom he quickly ran past. They tried and tried and tried to keep him away from the intact doors, but Dream managed to get back on track. He was risking too much; too many lives depended on how he would handle the situation.

...once again.

The doors were right there, over the scorched mass in the near distance. Yet, they felt like they were on the other side of the world, especially when an excruciating twinge in his broken femur made him fall.

_**"̢You'̴r͝e͟.͠ Go̢ìn̢g.̸ ̶Ņo̵w͘he͘r͝e͞.̧"** _

He only had a second to see the melting appendage crushing his damaged bone before he was violently dragged back, hurled like a mere, lifeless ragdoll into the grey grass. He tried to stand up, but the first attempt proved to be unsuccessful as his broken femur caused him to shriek in pain as he fell back down; he still had to push himself away, falling into his back, as a jagged bone slashed through his jacket.

He was quick to roll back up, but he knew he didn't stand a chance. That didn't stop him from standing up again, but it didn't take long for his brother to react accordingly. Two of his tentacles wrapped around his midsection, giving him no room to struggle before he was thrown against a hillock.

The wind was knocked out of his battered ribs as he toppled to the ground, where he wasn't as hasty to get back to his feet.

The Papyruses threatened to hurt him further, approaching ominously.

**" _Enough_."**

They all stopped at the same time, turning to face their leader as they lowered their weapons. _ **"I don't think the little weakling can take much more than that."**_ he chuckled, victoriously walking towards his fallen sibling as the specters stepped back, always making sure the smaller one wouldn't try to escape again.

Dream gritted his teeth as he tried to stand up; it was a miracle that his spine hadn't shattered at the force of the impact. He had to grasp the sketchy grass of the hillock to even push himself to his knees, the other arm shivering. He let himself lean against the terrain elevation, breathing heavily.

He had to keep going... he had to...

A cold chuckle made him look to his side, though too late. He saw a flash of black and next thing he knew he was pinned against the hill in a chokehold, raised to eye level with the other skeleton. He wasn't holding him tight enough to restraint his breathing, but surely enough to scare him half to death.

 _**"I expected an actual** _ **fig** **ht** _**from you this time... what a pity."** _

Dream barely had the strength to fight against his brother's grasp no matter how harmless thus far; his own phalanges became stained as he tried fruitlessly to free himself.

 _ **"Now I finally have an open chance to become a god. I finally have the chance I have been waiting for.**_ " his brother grinned, grip tightening ever so slightly; still nowhere near lethal. _**"You are weak and wounded, everyone is getting desperate, and nobody knows what to do. What kind of idiot would pass up an opportunity like this?"**_

He laughed lowly, darkly, **_"Besides... you always wanted to 'help' me, and believe me, you can now."_** His grin became demonic, overflowing in pure malice. _ **"Weren't you the empathetic one?** **Th͠e̷n͠ ͞I'͝l̶l ma͘k̕e you s͠uf́fer̷ as ̛mu̸ch ̛aş I h̶av̸e s̛u͟ff͝e̸re͝d͘."**_

His grip suddenly tightened dangerously, but although barely, Dream could still manage to breathe; it was the increasing pain all over him what worried him.

Slowly and gradually, golden smoke began to encircle the caped skeleton's midsection like a mist, a haze travelling through the arm that held him to eye level and becoming pitch black once in contact with the grinning monster's body. The pain kept on increasing, more, and more; the agony was so intense that Dream couldn't even move, and each stifled breath he took burned.

Every single one of his feelings, emotions, his power, it was all being taken from him and corrupted into hate. Every hope was crushed, every idea was broken, every happy memory was torn. Dream still tried to pry the melting hand off his neck, but the pain was insufferable, feeling like fire and knives and acid and paralyzing him without letting him even try to scream. It only manifested through Dream's eyes; clenched shut in agony as he feebly fought to free himself from the merciless grasp as Nightmare chuckled in delight at his hopelessness. _**"Don't try to resist, Dream. You'll only bring yourself more pain."**_

The distraught skeleton desperately tried to shout, shriek at his brother to stop, but only a pained gurgle came out of him. "S... top... P... please... l-let... gh... go..."

 _ **"It hurts, doesn't it?"**_ Nightmare laughed, grinning like a maniac. Each second that ticked by, he grew stronger, more powerful, every corrupted feeling worth more than half the multiverse's. The pain, the fear, the hopelessness... it was gratifying. _ **"I tried to be like you once... now it's your turn."**_ He grinned further, chuckling as his grip increased, _**"How does that feel like? To be deprived from happiness? The pain of losing yourself? It's not pretty, is it?"**_

"...please... enough..."

His strength completely disappeared, he felt dangerously lightheaded, but the horrifying pain wouldn't stop. He couldn't take it, it was too much, he was desperately trying to scream but he simply couldn't; he could hardly even speak, and numbness began to take over him.

The haze enveloping him began to fade, until it was almost completely transparent, and Dream suddenly couldn't feel himself, consciousness threatening to strike. He couldn't realize that his hands slowly slid off the other's arm, the smoke clouding around it becoming grey and disappearing.

It was over.

_**"You're so kind."** _

Nightmare merely dropped him without pity or remorse. His brother hardly gasped for breath or made any movement for that matter, but an eye did part open to encounter a sickening grin of white mocking him. A pupil no longer golden, but grey.

_**"Maybe now you will understand what it truly feels like to be broken."** _

The other skeleton fell into unconsciousness, still in pain, whilst the older sibling chuckled, then laughed, then cackled maniacally, pupil nothing but a tiny dot as he swoop at the hillock next to him.

It was pierced through like nothing, and being a drawing instead of something real, the upper half of it disintegrated into dust at the damage done.

The power, it was immense...

It was godlike...

_**"Finally... Finally I have it all...** **No̧w͏ ̢the̵re i͘s n̸o̶th̀in͏g̀ l̀ef͢t͜ ͞to̕ s̨t͠op me.̨..̕"̀** _

His own servants stepped back and shrunk at the borderline insane skeleton, emanating an aura so intense that even corrupted beings like them shuddered at the coldness.

Nightmare turned to look at his unconscious brother, the grass he stood on withering until a circle of death surrounded him.

 _ **"Sweet dreams, little bro."**_ he heartlessly taunted _ **. "Too bad you failed so many people... then again, it's not like you will ever be able to care about them again."**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You've probably realized why this is going to be a hella dark fic.
> 
> Honestly I think this is the only Dreamtale story in the entirety of AO3 that is not sanscest or hentai or ships or sans x reader OR-
> 
> *take two*
> 
> Yeah you get what I'm saying. Such an underrated AU. ;(


	2. Change to Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sometimes they would get mad for an unknown reason, then completely forget why. Or they would be unresponsive for a few minutes, or become distant, or murmur things to themselves... It's a strong feeling of despair that comes and goes. Maybe it's because of the confusion, but I think something is very wrong out there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably wait until I get back home. Writing on the phone is definitely not the same as writing on the PC. ;-;

Pain. It was all he could think of. Pain, a vicious headache and unbearable fatigue, but mostly and especially the former.

With too much effort, two eye sockets fluttered open, revealing grey orbs that could see nothing but a blur of their same color. Moving anything else aside from his eyes was impossible, and he brought himself to blink a few times and find his bearings.

Had the world always been black and white?

...why did it matter? Or why didn't it matter?

Truth was, nothing was urging him to get up. There was nothing he had to do, and he didn't want to deal with more pain caused by unnecessary movement. What was the point of standing up? What was there to reach?

He felt empty. Devoid of any will to keep going and of any reassuring thought. His mind was a mess; he could hardly remember a thing. What he did know, however, was that he didn't feel like doing anything at all. And yet, he faintly wanted to get up, but he had to think it through for a few minutes that he used to wait for the pain to leave.

It didn't.

Almost regretfully, he finally attempted to push himself up. His arms felt like sticks, but the hill behind him was thanked; he wasted no time to lean against it, because his arms would've probably snapped at that point. He felt so light, like he didn't have any strength - just enough to hold himself together.

A breeze blew past him; cold and treacherous, and he was instinctively hugging himself before he could tell, shuddering. At least he was alone. That was a good thing. He didn't really want anyone with him. Loneliness was good.

Something above caught his attention; the sky was suddenly something completely eerie and out of place. It had a blueish coloration above him, but it was a dark grey mass in the distance.

Dark... darkness... He didn't know why, but he was suddenly alert. Why couldn't he take his eyes off the nearly black clouds? They were reminiscent of something that he profusely wanted to forget... but what? And why? Why was his mind urging him to keep an eye on that?

The breeze blew past again.

He was lost... what was he supposed to do? He wanted to get rid of the pain and the cold and the fear...

Why wouldn't they stop?

* * *

"o-oh..."

That was certainly not what none of the two skeletons was waiting for when they opened the door back to the Omega Timeline. It seemed like a scene ripped straight from a mild horror movie, and a gust of concern hit them both like a gale.

Blueberry hadn't reacted well when he was told what had happened; he had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of his brother to make sure he was okay and to know that Ink would be fine. Papyrus wanted to avoid telling him straight away, but after a concerned hug came the dreaded question. The older sibling couldn't lie about something like that.

After much persistence, Blueberry had managed to convince both Core and Papyrus to go, even for a single minute, somewhere peaceful enough to let him calm himself down and sink the tragedy in - to take a break from all the white, according to him. Outerswap was perhaps the calmest universe out there, and the only left in the spatial universe's reign; Blueberry was quick to accept that choice.

Everyone had been acting normally when they left, except for Underfell's Frisk who seemed somewhat distressed for no apparent reason - at their return, they all looked like zombies. Everyone who was housed in there was either sitting down, or lying down, or curled up in a ball, or weeping, or arguing. All of their eyes were tainted in a lifeless grey, half open or closed in thought. The atmosphere was simply... _dark_.

Anyone's first instinct would be to run, to turn away and pretend that such a depressing sight wasn't actually real.

"what the..."

Papyrus cautiously stepped in, Blueberry following a few seconds after in profuse shock and disbelief. A place he had finally grown used to suddenly looked like the house of horrors - he did _not_ want to be there.

"W-WHAT... WHAT HAPPENED HERE?"

"...i wish i knew."

Black eyes scanned frantically for Core, who seemed nowhere to be found as the two stepped through the mass of anger and sadness; their apparent absence only raised their concerns. Blueberry stayed as close to the other skeleton as he could; he had a really bad feeling about the situation.

"core? core! you there?!"

No answer from anyone at all, though some monsters such as a strangely hostile-looking Geno and a shivering Toriel clad in blood red clothing moved their nearly lifeless gazes towards him. The skeleton that had once been a clingy friend looked like he would gladly rip his head off; it gave him goosebumps.

Blueberry did a double take when he saw a recognizable, small figure drenched in grey, hugging themselves, as he tried to ignore the unfriendly glares.

"THERE!" the smaller monster cautiously signaled, not at all relieving the elder one when his gaze met a panicking human. Both of them guardedly walked towards the shivering kid, hearts wrenching at their hopeless state. Blueberry doubted he had ever seen Core cry before; black tears oozed from their eye sockets like tar.

Papyrus rested a careful hand on their shoulder, and they seemed to flinch as though they were about to somehow get killed. "hey, you okay kid?"

_"H-he... he came here... he.. everyone... their... th-their emotions..."_

They could hardly speak through the curtain of tears that clouded their vision, completely panicking and terrified out of their mind. It wasn't until Papyrus held both of their shoulders and forced them to look at him with a tense, "hey!" that they actually realized he was there.

They seemed to slowly settle down once they realized there was someone normal in the whole timeline, and let their hitched breaths slow down to stop the tears from falling.

"just breathe, okay? we're here, we're gonna help you, but you need to get a grip on yourself, yes?" Though shakily and driven by confusion, Core nodded a few times as the skeleton let them go.

It was only luck that Papyrus had at least some experience when it came to panic attacks. His brother had had countless since Ink brought him back, and he had learnt how to mildly stop them after so many tries. He wasn't an expert whatsoever, but as long as he could calm someone down, he was fine with it. Core wasn't panicking as much as Blueberry would, which helped greatly.

"okay. now keep breathing, and tell us what happened. calmly."

Both skeletons sat beside them as they gradually calmed down, taking slow breaths as they pushed past the shock and confusion. They snivelled, nervous and confused, but the duo's mere company seemed to have taken them out of their trauma. No one would blame them; it wasn't pretty to be alone, surrounded by what once were friends morphed into grieving entities.

They allowed themselves to shudder as they remembered the faces of unbridled terror of the same monsters that aimlessly paced around whilst they spoke. It had happened so fast, yet it took so long for the terror to end. The frantic rate of their heartbeat was not normal; the feelings of despair and hatefulness that clouded everyone were not ordinary _"...Nightmare came here... H-he took everyone's emotions..."_

Papyrus felt his whole world collapse.

"what?" he stressed, disbelieved. Even if he wasn't looking at him, he could practically see his brother shrinking in panicked astonishment over the situation. Papyrus grew even more worried if possible at their state, "did- did he take yours too...?"

_"N-no..."_ Core sobbed, rubbing their tears off. _"I am immune to that kind of damage, but... I do feel strange. As a matter of fact, everyone had been acting strange since what would have been yesterday, until now..."_

"strange, in which way?"

_"Sometimes they would get mad for an unknown reason, then completely forget why. Or they would be unresponsive for a few minutes, or become distant, or murmur things to themselves... It's a strong feeling of despair that comes and goes. Maybe it's because of the confusion, but I think something is very wrong out there."_

The tall skeleton blinked; so it hadn't been a random mood change at all. Papyrus had also gone through that state, then, and so did his brother. He had been really down in the dumps while in Outerswap, only to bring cheerfulness to himself again. Papyrus sometimes felt odd as well. It was something inexplicable; it felt like he suddenly didn't want to keep going, but he forgot why after a moment.

No, it was most definitely not normal.

"WAIT..." Both turned to look into cyan pupils drenched in genuine worry. "CORE... DID DREAM LEAVE THE DOODLE SPHERE?"

The monochromatic human's stained gaze fell into pondering thought, pondering thought that was quick to take on the shape of unbridled worry when they reached realization only to expect the worst. Papyrus seemed to sense that something was terribly wrong, too. _"N-not as far as I am concerned."_ the child muttered.

_"..."_

_"Oh no..."_

* * *

"i swear, if that maniac did anything to him..."

The three of them stepped through the door that would normally lead to Alterfell, half expecting to see nothing but chaos given that Nightmare was already on the move. It was mostly relieving that things were calm, but then again, they were too calm.

There was a soft breeze, but it was cold. The sky still looked like it was holding a giant storm back, and it gave off an eerie feeling. Aside from the waving grass beneath their feet, everything was all too quiet.

They relied on their eyes; they didn't want to alert any potential enemy of their position. Nothing was surely safe anymore.

_"Do you see him?"_ Core nearly whimpered, scanning through the few doors around them, the scorched grass where an ominous fire had once raged, the disintegrating distance. They tried to relieve themselves by remembering that Nightmare couldn't kill Dream if he didn't want to lose his own life, but he was his main focus and it was a chance that he could have taken him away. None of them had passed through any other universe.

"not yet... wait, hold on."

Hopeful glances looked at him, then at the general direction he was squinting at. Patches of grass were completely withered, melted even, only present near half a hillock with a small figure leaning against it, curled up.

Blueberry couldn't help but sigh; for some reason, a part of him was constantly telling him that he would find disaster there. He didn't like it when his mind and his heart didn't act like one. "HE SEEMS OKAY."

Core had that expression, of being extremely sorry to burst that optimistic bubble that wasn't as common in him ever since he was brought back, " _He is not."_

There was no response to their cautious, concerned approach. Grey pupils never glanced at them despite their proximity, no movement whatsoever aside from a faint shivering. They didn't know if he was shivering because of the cold breeze or because of something else, but he looked terrified.

Shriveled grass, a completely destroyed hill, plus Dream not acting at all normally... Core felt a wrench. They had been too late. _"Dream...? Come on, please, say something..."_

Again, there was absolutely no response. No shifting or glancing. Core didn't like the grey that had taken over the gold of his pupils; everyone else in the Omega Timeline had them, and they could only expect the worst. At least he didn't seem hurt or in any notable pain, but his state was still dismal. A colorless hand tried to reach out for him, " _Are you-"_

"Don't touch me."

They immediately pulled back in surprise. A voice that had once been soft and reassuring had become cold and... lifeless, monotonous and without that spark of life that had always adorned it.

But it hadn't been a warning. In fact, Dream's voice had nearly cracked, and it wasn't because he was shivering. Something in his deadpan expression finally changed, but to worse; fright was more than noticeable in his traits, and albeit lightly, he suddenly was warily aware of the three entities next to him.

He was afraid of _them_.

There was nothing but preoccupation and fear in the other two skeletons' faces, even more so when they looked an Core in search for guidance and met a heavily distraught human.

_"This is grave. This is too grave..."_


	3. Withered Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He still didn't know what 'being happy' meant. Wasn't he already happy? Perhaps it meant having a giant smile and prancing around collecting insipid flowers. He didn't want to be happy if that was what it meant. It was stupid to do something so meaningless. He wanted to understand what he was doing.

It was bad. It was _horrible_. It was probably the worst thing that had ever happened to the multiverse, as if the destruction of half of it hadn't been grave enough. Core felt themselves panicking again, no matter how much they tried to relax; there was no room to relax during such a disaster.

The two skeletons perfectly knew something was heavily off the rails; Core had never been so distraught, no matter what sort of terrible event they were facing, but the skeletal siblings weren't sure about the scale of the problem. After all, the multiverse was still a riddle to them. They didn't know what could be dangerous and what couldn't - it was always so unexpected.

_"No, no, this is- nonononono this is not right-"_

The colorless human began pacing around, trying hard not to let their nerves explode; heck, the weight of the issue was even giving them a headache. It had been so long since they faced one, and it just seemed to power it.

Blueberry couldn't help glancing back at the shivering skeleton despite every inch of him urging him to aid the monochromatic child before they had a hypothetical heart attack.

As far as he could tell, Dream didn't seem to behave like the others were. The hopeless expression was the same, the colorless eyes too, yet his lost gaze was screaming pain and terror in a way everyone else's wouldn't. They were monotonous, angry at the world, and absolutely hated themselves and anyone else; but Dream was frightened out of his life and clearly panicking.

It was a saddening sight.

Papyrus had to stand up and try his best to calm Core down in an attempt to let them explain what was so outrageously terrible, whilst his brother slightly shrunk in concern. According to what Papyrus had told him, Dream had been the one to put his heart into helping Ink, the one who had risked everything to keep the multiverse and its people as safe as possible.

So what had he done to deserve being in such a depressing state?

He was avoiding eye contact as though looking into the concerned blue orbs would kill him. He clearly didn't want any of the three there with him, but loneliness could never help anyone. He couldn't be that far gone already, could he?

"HEY," Blueberry tried to be as softly friendly as possible, budging closer but making sure not to make the other skeleton uncomfortable; apparently the last thing he wanted was to be touched - it almost reminded him of Error, and he didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. Dream still quailed at his light approach. He looked so helpless and vulnerable.

"I... DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WE JUST WANT TO HELP YOU. I UNDERSTAND THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T WANT US HERE, BUT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HELP IF YOU DON'T-"

"Leave me alone."

Every little, somewhat confused hope the little skeleton had collapsed at the coldness of the other, and the small, reassuring smile he had completely faded. For some reason, he even felt a mild shiver down his spine.

Dream never looked up at him, gaze still lost and trying to evade the other skeleton's. "I didn't ask for your help." he said shakily, trying without success to sound hostile. "Just get away from me."

Behind that fake acrimony that made Blueberry feel useless for reasons unknown to him was that desperate plea for them to just go and never return. The gravity of the situation just kept on showing, and the small skeleton felt worse when the other two finally came by. Core was still freaking out, but internally.

"I THINK WE SHOULD GO," Blueberry suddenly stated, much to his brother's surprise. "I MEAN, NOT GO FOREVER, JUST... FOR NOW. HE NEEDS TIME."

Core glanced at the unmoving skeleton; Blueberry never refused to help someone without the tiniest of hesitant specks if he didn't have a good reason to. Somehow, they felt impotent simply by being near Dream, like there was an invisible aura of hopelessness around him that tore any helpful idea apart.

It was clear the damage had affected him differently, and in a much more harmful way.

But they were quick to empathize; they were surely not feeling any more impotent than Dream was. He probably thought they were there to hurt or even kill him; he seemed delusional, and almost paralyzed by fear.

 _"Would that help?"_ they gently asked, though Dream didn't show any signs of having been listening at all. He was still shivering, looking down, taking the apparent coldness of the breeze without any way to get away from it.

Core doubted he could defend himself; that was probably why he was so distressed about their presence. He really did not want them there, and he would have attacked or at least bluffed if he actually could. Dream had never been one to use harmful attacks, and he was probably powerless.

Core heaved a small sigh at the lack of an answer _. "You two should stay here, and make sure nothing happens to him. We don't know how the consequences of this have affected him, and we should have them in mind if we want to help."_

"so where are you going?" Papyrus enquired.

_"I may know someone who could greatly help us, though, having in mind what has happened, it may not be easy to convince him. As said before, it would be best if you stayed here and took note of Dream's status. Of course, keep your eyes open for anything strange. We never know."_

Blueberry fidgeted pensively and nervously, "BUT... WHAT IF THAT NIGHTMARE COMES HERE?" he tensely asked. "WE CAN GET AWAY, BUT WHAT ABOUT DREAM? WHAT IF HE DOESN'T REACT OR SOMETHING?"

Core stood in thought for a moment; they didn't want to just tell them that they would be goners if Nightmare came back, given that there was no place he didn't have access to. _"Nightmare cannot kill Dream, so I don't think it would be his intention to harm him. Then again, if you do see him, the best you could do is rush into the first universe you see. I will then be aware of your presence there and know something is wrong."_

Papyrus pondered; he didn't like how grim things were looking. Everything had gone from being all fine and good, to tense and frightening, to straight up chaos, and his brother was having trouble taking it all in. He just wished things would be normal and peaceful again...

All because of that _damned_ glitchy freak...

Speaking of... Error hadn't been heard of since he left, but that wasn't at all relieving for him. He couldn't help but be in constant alert; who were they to say he wouldn't come back as soon as their backs were turned? Maybe Nightmare wasn't going to kill anybody, but Error surely would, and Papyrus wasn't about to let his guard down.

 _"Does that seem like an idea, then?"_ Core asked, almost hopefully; they seemed steadfast in their beliefs, and despite his inner fear, Papyrus couldn't say no to them. Someone who had undergone a traumatic disaster deserved to be given a chance. He knew that very well.

"fine, we're staying." he finally accepted, though after much deliberation. He was doing it for the other three, not for himself; he felt relieved when Blueberry smiled at his decision. "just... don't take too long."

 _"I'll try my best._ "

* * *

Odd indeed.

The breeze had stopped; it had completely stopped, and immediately at that. One moment the gentle yet cold wind was blowing, the next it practically ceased existing. Papyrus was sure that was not how weather worked, but then again, there shouldn't be any weather in there at all.

Either way, Dream seemed to thank the strange climate change, though in his own kind of way. He had stopped shivering, so it was true that he had been freezing. That, and the fact that the two other skeletons knew to keep their distance until Core and whoever it was they could seek help from came back. It had greatly calmed him down.

He still didn't respond to anything. He didn't move or look around; he merely kept his gaze fixated on the ground and that was about it. He was still curled up, hugging himself.

Lying down, head resting over his arms and one leg crossed over the other, Papyrus sighed. The sky kept on mellowing, though its grey coloration never left. Everything was so colorless, and yet, it was relaxing in a way. That didn't stop the skeleton from always listening carefully; they were exposed to danger and he knew it.

Blueberry figured out his own way to keep himself entertained; apparently, he had found tiny, rainbow-colored flowers hidden in the grass, and collecting them had become a game for the little skeleton.

As long as he could keep his mind away from anything bad, Papyrus would be happy.

Blueberry's makeshift pastime was a riddle for Dream. He couldn't help but notice how happy he looked as he strolled through the grass, smile growing when he came across yet another flower that looked grey in his sight, just like everything else. He didn't understand what was so fun about that.

He couldn't stop himself from looking down, eyes scanning through the grass. There were two tiny flowers almost completely hidden away in the grass right beside him; no wonder he had never seen them, they were only visible to a keen eye.

So what was so special about them? What did they have that made them so entertaining to collect? They were normal, colorless flowers in the middle of a desolated field. Why would they be so important? He didn't understand. He _couldn't_ understand.

He tried to reach out for one, unsure about what he was doing and why he was even doing so. Phalanges cautiously took hold of the thin stem, having no trouble when it came to plucking it.

He observed it with monotonous eyes, a blank expression devoid of curiosity. It was a tiny, useless thing. He didn't understand why 'playing' with them was fun. He didn't even know what they were there for - he didn't understand what anything was there for, as a matter of fact, not even himself.

He hadn't expected the flower to begin shriveling, slowly shrinking in his hand, losing its petals one by one until it was nothing but a solitary stem.

He hadn't meant to do that...

He sighed as he simply let the dead flower go, watching the tiny stem hover down and disappear among the blades of grass. Just as he suspected, the flower brought him nothing. He still didn't understand...

He looked back up at the cheerful skeleton. He seemed to treat the flowers with so much respect... why? And why didn't _he_ make them shrivel? What did he have that he didn't? And why was he so happy?

...what _was_ being happy?

He tensed when he noticed the smiley skeleton looking at him with a small head tilt, and Dream immediately averted his gaze. Why couldn't he just go away? He wanted to be alone. Loneliness was good; why did they all have to ruin it? And what was with their help? He was fine. He didn't need anything.

He was approaching. He wanted him to go; why did he not understand? It wasn't too complicated. He had made it clear that he appreciated his loneliness.

"FLOWERS CAN MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY. WANT ONE?"

He still didn't know what 'being happy' meant. Wasn't he already happy? Perhaps it meant having a giant smile and prancing around collecting insipid flowers. He didn't want to be happy if that was what it meant. It was stupid to do something so meaningless. He wanted to understand what he was doing.

Besides, why would he want a flower? He didn't like them, and they died if he picked them up.

Blueberry sighed silently when Dream didn't answer. It was difficult to help someone who wasn't willing to cooperate - even Error had tagged along, but Dream was just... completely devoid of any will to keep going.

"I'LL TAKE THAT AS A NO..." he gave up, shoulders slumped. "STILL, IF MAYBE YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR THEM TOO, I DON'T THINK I'LL BE LEAVING ANY TIME SOON."

He tried to sound as cheerful as possible, but he still brought no response from the other skeleton. He looked over his shoulder before going back to look for more flowers; still nothing. He didn't want to see him like that, but it was perhaps too early to expect any positive results.

Dream was still lost

He didn't understand.

_He didn't understand..._

* * *

_**"so... what will be of dream now that he is... powerless?"** _

_**"He is a minor concern for now, though I am not quite done with him yet."** _

A cold, bloodcurdling chuckle echoed across the lightless area; there wasn't a single specter that didn't shiver. They doubted Nightmare had ever been so outright menacing without even being angry. He had been behaving in an even darker way than usual.

_**"However, he can wait; after all, I have all the time in the world. I have better things to attend to now, but I do want you to keep an eye on him"** _

The hateful, borderline insane glow of a single blue eye was a heavy contrast against the endless darkness, and a menacing one too; it was that well known ominous glare, and every Papyrus was nervously glancing at each other in hopes they weren't the ones in imminent danger of a merciless scold... or something worse.

 _ **"82.**_ "

One of the specters nearly jumped like a frightened cat at hearing his supposed name in the form of a snarl, and it wasn't long until the runt was receiving looks of disapproval and mockery from the others.

 _ **"From now on, it's you who will check on our little friend."**_ Nightmare's expression narrowed with bitterness and hostility, _ **"Even after your training, your display was still pathetic. Prove yourself useful for once."**_

_**"y-yes, my lord."** _

Among the mocking, white eyes that followed his departure, one was deeply observant and judgmental, following the dark shape until it was out of sight.

A grin of white only darkened the mood.

_**"You'd better have gotten past your stubbornness, Dream. None of this is over until I say so."** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case: yep, Dream is completely colorblind and can only see in black and white. He's also forgotten what it is like to be happy because he can't feel those emotions anymore
> 
> He's a complex character, it's somewhat difficult to write him. ;-;


	4. Help is Not Welcomed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oblivious to the vanishing shadow of a skeleton all too close to them, carrying dangerous information, gazes of worry fell on Dream; Sci seemed especially concerned, mostly because he was the one who would determine whether he could be helped or not, and how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm finally back home. ^-^ Hope I can update more frequently now. And write better chapters in general.

"THEY'RE TAKING SO LONG..."

Papyrus couldn't avoid a worried glance at his brother. He had finally grown tired of running all across the greyscale field in eager search of rainbow flowers like a little puppy looking for anything new, and sat a few feet beside him with a pensive gaze fixated on the small bunch of flowers he held.

He had that strange look in his eyes, and he had gone from being himself to behaving like he would never in a matter of seconds - as soon as he sat down, to be specific.

It was either one of those mood changes Core spoke about, or yet another side effect of his trauma, but it looked more like the latter; he would have started shaking by then if it was caused by his inner panic, and Papyrus felt lightly relieved.

"well, they did say whoever that guy was could be hard to convince. i'm sure they're on their way now." he reassured, though he wasn't sure himself, and he was growing impatient and concerned as well. He knew that nothing harmful could happen to Core, but what if that person was in trouble? Or what if someone else was in trouble, and their wellbeing involved the child's presence there?

Why was he thinking so negatively?

Papyrus shook those thoughts off. He wasn't in the mood to let...  _something_  mess around with his scrambled emotions, and he directed his brother a sideways glance. Still not smiling, though he did look up into the sky with an almost lost glance.

"WHAT IF THEY NEVER COME BACK?" he mused, hardly audible as though he was whispering what his mind told him.

Papyrus felt his world sink. His little, always hopeful and cheerful brother would  _never_  say that unless something was wrong with him. He suddenly feared those random mood changes more than he had ever imagined he would; what if they never left? What if they couldn't be repelled with any hope, and left them in the same state Dream and the others were?

Why was he thinking negatively again?!

The tall skeleton sighed internally, and tried to hide his worry from his brother; no need to make him feel worse by letting him know that he wasn't the only one suddenly lost. He tried to focus on something else, but it wasn't easy when all he could look at was an endless field of grey, white or black blades of grass and a stormy sky that reassured nobody.

To think that place had once been cheerful... or at least he supposed it had been; he doubted someone like Ink would live in a dismal place.

He wished he could have done more for him, even if such thing was impossible. He was the one and only reason his brother was there beside him and not trapped in some kind of void with an insane freak that had condemned the multiverse.

He just wanted to go back to Snowdin and live his life again.

"NO, I'M SURE THEY'LL BE BACK SOON. WHY WOULD THEY LEAVE FOREVER? MWEH HEH!"

Hopeful but confused black eyes gazed at the smaller skeleton, and Papyrus felt immense relief at seeing Blueberry smile again. Yet, he couldn't get rid of the worry. Did he remember what he had just said? He probably felt horrible if he did. He could be trying to mask that pain for all he knew.

"yeah... they should be back soon."

The eerie creaking of a door slipped between his words, and he had to make a double take when movement caught his attention; it was a good thing he recognized the lab coat-wearing skeleton that came in, perplexed, beside certain monochromatic human.

* * *

Vexation. Sadness. Humiliation.

**_"it's always me, right? always me."_ **

82 muttered intelligible words covered in forced anger as he kicked at the ground, sending minuscule stones and dust flying to let go of his irritation. He didn't even know why he was even there, other than to serve as the official clown of the bunch. It was a fact.

Nightmare would gladly kill those he deemed unworthy, but despite his many mistakes, he had never been disposed of.

Was he  _that_  big of a failure? Big enough to be treated like garbage for the mere sake of giving the rest something to laugh at, instead of getting rid of? Heck, he was the one supposed to watch over Dream, and  _he_  had let him escape once he freed himself! Nightmare should have torn him apart because of that, but there he was, serving as the disrespected jester.

It felt great to be the only one sent out; he could only imagine how torturous it would be to have anyone with him, constantly mocking him and telling him to do this and that and making him think he was wrong all the time. He hated being belittled, but he would only ask for pain or even death if he dared speak a word near anyone below 50; those were seriously dangerous in comparison.

It didn't take him long to locate the skeleton he was looking for, though accompanied, and he forced himself to quiet down before he was spotted as he hid behind one of the hills. His body turned into a silent cloud of smoke, and he slithered his way up like a mere shadow.

He made sure he wasn't obvious enough in the sight of the others when he returned to his corporeal form, staying low and attentive. Despite nearby, he wasn't close enough to be seen.

He could see everything from there even though the elevation wasn't even that tall, and it was relieving to be around gentler colors as opposed to an endless mass of black. Perhaps being forced to serve as a lone spy was not so bad, but he wasn't there to relax and take the day off.

He remembered what happened to the last one who thought sneaking out of his duty was a good idea. Poor 106, the three elites were sent by Nightmare to quite literally tear him to pieces. Sometimes, 82 wished that had been him -  _if_  the punishment wasn't a merciless death. Despite miserable, he appreciated his life.

He sat down as he observed, but allowed himself to enjoy the hardly noticeable breeze meanwhile. Three more skeletons and a human; quite the bunch considering he was looking for a single person. Nightmare would be pleased with his discovery.

Two of the skeletons seemed to be sitting down, motionless, while the other one and the human stood beside them, conversing most likely. 82 frowned; it was likely that they were talking about Dream or something in relation to the multiverse, and he would be better off gathering as much information as possible before returning to the castle.

Again, he let his body morph into a cloud of darkness as he slid off the hill, and slithered his way through the grass unnoticed until he reached a closer one. Corporeal again, he made sure not to be seen at all as he peeked, carefully listening.

"AND HE APPARENTLY HATES BEING TOUCHED. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH HE HATES IT, HE JUST HATES IT."

"Well, that's either anxiety or haphephobia. Heh, I think Error has that thing too. Uh, anyway, anything else?"

"he doesn't speak to anyone unless it's a threat."

_"And he seems afraid of us. Definitely loathes company."_

"Jeez, poor guy's a mess. There are definitely a lot of phobias in there, and anxiety for sure. I'll have to look further into this, though. If he want to help him, we have to make sure we know what's wrong."

Two furtive eyes of white widened.  ** _"help...?"_**  82 muttered, almost in a scolding tone. That was most definitely not right; certain someone wouldn't like what he was about to hear, but then again, that was vital information that he would appreciate at the same time. He was sure to be rewarded somehow; at least have the privilege of not being called a downgrading name after coming back without what Nightmare expected from him.

He hoped Nightmare would be proud of him for just once – or, well, as proud as he could possibly be of any of his henchmen. Not even 1, literally the second in command, was ever congratulated. It seemed to boost his ego somehow, though, and make him even more insufferable.

**_"tsk tsk tsk, sorry to burst your bubble, but you can't do that."_ **

Oblivious to the vanishing shadow of a skeleton all too close to them, carrying dangerous information, gazes of worry fell on Dream; Sci seemed especially concerned, mostly because he was the one who would determine whether he could be helped or not, and how.

He had been hard to convince, indeed. Core found him in his –crumbling– universe, alone and bewildered with what was happening. He already had a mild idea of the situation, but the explanation he received broke him inside; though, he only showed it through awed silence, and Core wasn't able to tell how distraught he truly was.

Fortunately, but after much deliberation and arguing, he acceded to help as he had nothing else left to do. He did warn Core not to expect too much from him, however; he was a scientist, not a doctor, and he wasn't happy being involved in anything regarding Error or anyone equally as bad.

"Hey, Core… how did everyone react to Nightmare's attack?"

The monochromatic child shuddered inadvertently at the careful reminder; it wasn't a nice memory, one that they fought to forget but couldn't get rid of, and it made them feel so worthless. To think that all those people counted on them, to have looked out for all of them equally… Even if they had been powerless to stop Nightmare, they still felt like it was their fault.

_"They were all absolutely horrified. Even those who witnessed before being attacked, they were paralyzed by an extreme fear that wasn't at all ordinary. I felt that terror as well. It was awful... we could hear nothing but cries and screams."_

Sci gulped nervously at Core's broken voice as they recalled, and he suddenly felt glad his universe went to hell without him being that deeply involved in its destruction. Papyrus, too, felt sorrowed relief; he couldn't imagine what his brother would have reacted like at such a horrifying sight. He had gone through enough already.

"That might be the cause of everything. If it's had that much of a negative effect on people who have no idea about the multiverse, imagine how badly this actually affected Dream. Nightmare is a complete stranger to almost everyone out there, but we're talking about siblings, one of which still cared for the other. I'll take my guess and say this is post-traumatic stress disorder. Which would be pretty worrisome, considering what he's supposed to be like."

The scientist glanced at the other two skeletons with an empty, lopsided smile and a small frown, "You two have that, too. You told me, remember?"

Papyrus nodded once. Though slightly, Blueberry felt a little more hopeful towards what seemed a lost cause; at least he and Dream had something in common, and it was something that the former had some experience on. Perhaps he could help that way, but he'd rather wait until the more informed skeleton knew for sure what was happening.

"DO YOU THINK HE CAN BE… SAVED? AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE?" the small skeleton quietly asked, and Sci seemed to shift as he pondered.

"Too early to tell, but I hope so. Whatever happens to these two is not a joke."

* * *

**_"Seems like it didn't take you long to come back..."_ **

The nervous specter steered past the mocking giggles from some of the glaring minions, fully expecting him to mess up again, especially given how unimpressed Nightmare was. Certain high-ranked Papyruses looked eager to see him blown to bits, and that only contributed to his stress.

**_"a-actually, i've found out several… interesting things."_ **

He couldn't bring himself to look into the spiteful eye that was glowering at him, and fidgeted anxiously as he awaited further permission to speak. The white eyes of the others were digging into his back; he could feel their mocking glares from a mile away.

**_"Surprise me, then."_ **

Nightmare's grin was mocking him as well, and 82 was still forcing himself not to raise his gaze. Looking at the cold, pitch black floor made him feel better than either staring into a powerful blue orb or shifting between the many grins taunting him. At least Nightmare didn't care much about eye contact.

 ** _"there are a few survivors in the creator's timeline. three skeletons and that monochromatic human."_** He was still fidgeting, and never saw the almost content and amused smirk in the melting monster's traits.  ** _"but, um… they may be slightly troublesome."_**

**_"Oh? How so?"_ **

**_"i overheard them talking… they're, uh… going to help dream."_ **

The silence that came afterwards was sepulchral, and it seemed to last forever.

**_"…"_ **

**_"_ ** **_͟_ ** **_W_ ** **_̵_ ** **_h_ ** **_͠_ ** **_a_ ** **_̶_ ** **_t_ ** **_̧_ ** **_?_ ** **_̶_ ** **_"_ **

82 visibly shivered at the sudden cold rage in a voice that had never been reassuring to begin with, and everyone else went as quiet as if they didn't even exist. No more glares or smirks; nobody dared to speak a word or make a move. 82 was half-expecting to be killed right then and there simply to be the punching bag for Nightmare's building rage.

After a few seconds of realization, the irate skeleton growled as he turned away.

He had never thought any of those pathetic weaklings would dare to be nosy enough to dive into problems that did not concern them at all after what had happened. He should have made sure everyone in that timeline had been properly dealt with. He didn't remember seeing the swapped skeletons there, and it was likely that two of the three mentioned were them.

Given what he had seen, the older one was way too stalwart for his own good, and the blue bean that followed him everywhere was a cheap copy of his own brother – not something he wanted to deal with, and he knew those two along with Core would do anything and beyond to fix the unfixable.

Pity, Nightmare knew for a fact that _nobody_ was going to help Dream.

But he wasn't going to lie; it was something he had been eagerly awaiting, deep down. He wouldn't turn down a reason to continue hurting his worthless excuse of a brother. He should have seen it coming, anyway. The multiverse was full of unexpected surprises and people who pry into everything.

 ** _"So, they want to prove themselves useful, do they?"_** the dripping skeleton muttered, lightly chuckling. After the inner burst of rage came notable delight, and his minions took that as a chance to relax.  ** _"Well then. Seems like certain people still don't get that some actions have consequences."_**

He glanced up at his three most valuable henchmen, already looking tall and mighty when his gaze fell on them.  ** _"You three are coming with me. Looks like we have to teach somebody a valuable lesson."_**

He gave certain specter behind him a sideways glance, with a small smile.

**_"Oh, and, 82..."_ **

Said skeleton meekly looked up.

**_"Good enough."_ **

Nightmare and the other three were gone in the blink of an eye. Certainly, 82 preferred looks of disbelieved awe over taunting grimaces.


	5. Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tall skeleton startled, glancing over at his brother to see him perplexed; all the flowers he had collected slowly lost their vibrant coloration until they were tainted in a dark, strange shade of grey and fell down from his bandanna like dead leaves. Yes, he could see it; the grass was gradually taking that same color too, only lighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update. ;-; Life keeps getting in the way, and the next chapters may come slowly because school is about to start again... oh gawd.
> 
> This chapter was going to be longer, too, but I've got a lot of work to do so RIP.

He didn't like it. He didn't like the way they were murmuring. About _him_.

Why did they have to stay there? He liked being alone. He had made it clear, hadn't he? One little skeleton he could tolerate, but that many people? They were making him feel nervous and uncomfortable, especially because _he_ was their main concern. He didn't like the way they would glance at him every once in a while. Why did he matter so much?

The word 'help' had been brought into the worried conversation many times, and Dream understood nothing. There was nothing to help. He didn't need help. He didn't _want_ help. Heck, help for _what?_ It wasn't like he was dying, and the multiverse was as good as gone, so why even bother? The only way they could truly help him was by leaving. He didn't want a bunch of nosy monsters and a human disturbing him with their useless worry.

What was so hard to understand? They knew that he didn't want them there, yet they stayed. Where was the helpful part? Were they just trying to make fun of him? There were so many questions fluttering around him like relentless mosquitoes that he was already feeling the echoes of an incoming headache. He wished he didn't have to be there; he really did.

He tensed when Sci turned to look at him, almost decisively, and took a careful approach. Dream pretended not to notice him, bitterly facing the opposite direction as the other skeleton sat down a few feet beside him; Blueberry followed, head tilted, staying quiet. The other two observed nearby, and Dream didn't like being the main focus like that. There were too many eyes staring at him, it made him feel so anxious. _They had to leave_ –

But he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He had nothing, nothing left but empty threats that hadn't worked thus far. It just proved how useless he was. All he could do was ignore them and let fate decide for him, but they seemed overly concerned and probably wouldn't leave any time soon. He missed the sound of silence.

"Hey… how you doing?" the scientist asked softly, mostly rhetorically as his purpose was to try and initiate conversation. Dream didn't say anything, as expected, and took a small breath in as he continued to face away from Sci, hoping and praying he would just walk away and never return. He did glance at him ever so briefly, but the motion was too small to be noticed.

The scientist sighed quietly, tapping his fingers on the ground in thought; he took note of how the once cheerful being next to him reacted to company, and how his nearly blind trust had turned into irrational fear. Core had briefly showed him the Omega Timeline, and he could easily tell that Dream had been affected differently than the others; it only concerned him. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about… whatever's bothering you? Maybe… tell us how we can help you?"

It took Dream several seconds to finally answer, and yet his only response was a dull and blank, "I don't need your help." He shrunk, still not making eye contact, and he seemed really distraught all of a sudden. Just in case, Sci shifted a little bit away from him. If he was dealing with some sort of haphephobia or severe anxiety, then it would be better to respect his boundaries if they wanted to make any progress. "I want you to leave."

Dream's voice cracked slightly, and the skeleton knew they wouldn't be able to help much for at least a few days. Definitely, his trust was completely gone, and something was driving him to fear them. Whether or not he even remembered them, the question would have to wait. The situation was grave, indeed, and it required time they didn't have.

Sci muttered a pensive, "Mh," before slowly standing up, Blueberry looking up at him without moving as he glanced back at the unmoving guardian after a blink. "I'm afraid this may be a little… complicated. More so than I thought."

Core seemed to gulp nervously at his statement, clearly having been hoping for something positive no matter how small. _"Do you think we will be able to do anything? If his emotions were taken… well, I figure it would be hard to bring him back to normal."_

The scientist gave a small shrug, "Too soon to tell, and I don't know all that much about these two." He took a glance at the doors in the near distance, and his eyes appeared to light up with an idea. "You did say these doors led to every universe out there, didn't you?"

With a small head tilt, Core looked over their shoulder to contemplate the doors before turning back to the skeleton. _"I believe so. At least, those that are left do."_

Sci nodded in approval, silently clapping his hands together. "Welp, first objective of the day: find the one to Dreamtale. As far as I'm concerned, it's not fully destroyed. Perhaps whoever is there can give us information we don't have."

There were light smiles from the human and the tall skeleton next to them as the idea blossomed, and they looked at each other in search for agreement. Blueberry was already beaming at the possible solution, so it had a notable yes from everybody; it was a mild yes, however – everyone was aware of the risks such thing implied, but it was for the greater good. It wasn't probable that they would have any chances at moving forward if they weren't informed enough.

_"Good, we will do that. However, at least one of us will have to stay with Dream once more. Who knows when Error or Nightmare might come back."_

Papyrus shifted slightly, nervously. Core wouldn't be able to do much if they were to stay there, and he definitely didn't want his brother accompanying him to any universe. He wasn't content with having to stay vulnerable and unknowing of the situation again, but he was quick to make his only choice, and hastily commented, "me and my bro will stay. you two go on."

The monochromatic human glanced at him, _"Again? Are you sure?"_

"definitely. if any of those two freaks comes back, i'll pretty much be the only one able to do something about it."

* * *

 

"again with the flowers? they'll run out eventually. heh."

Papyrus couldn't resist chuckling; his brother looked like a goofball with all those flowers that had somehow stuck on his bandanna until it looked like a sea of skittles. The younger skeleton giggled cheerfully in response, plucking another rainbow-colored plant and observing it as if it were candy. "NOT AT ALL! I THINK THEY KEEP GROWING BACK!"

Black eyes of relief yet stained in light concern followed the little ball of sunshine throughout his carefree stroll; Papyrus had to appreciate those moments he saw him happy even more than before. All in all, they were fighting against the apocalypse; one wrong move and the multiverse was gone, and they still had those strange mood changes and trauma to worry about. Any moment together had to match that of their last day's, because any day from then on could be their last.

About an hour had already passed by, and the duo had not yet returned. Negative feelings going around or not, Papyrus was truthfully growing concerned. It was Dreamtale they were going to, after all; also known as certain maniac's universe. Nightmare could have been waiting there for all he knew, and it wasn't farfetched to think that those two may never return.

But he wasn't really thinking _that_.

Stay calm and positive.

Papyrus pondered about taking a small peek, just to make sure everything was alright, but he was concerned about leaving Dream or Blueberry on their own even for five minutes, and he certainly didn't want to put himself and the other two in danger if he went through that door only to bring more chaos into the timeline if something had gone wrong.

Patience. He had gotten the hang of it. He just needed a little bit more of it and he would be settled. Certainly, the joyous laughter of his brother as he found his own way to let go of any bad feeling trying to weigh him down was distracting enough, but there was something that wasn't quite helpful when it came to bringing peace.

He did a double take when his gaze briefly drifted towards the caped skeleton; for once, one small but noticeable thing had changed in his devastated expression. Papyrus, however, didn't really like what he saw on the small figure in the near distance.

Dream was still curled up, staring down, head blankly resting on his crossed arms. His eyes, by the other hand, were no longer blank and half-lidded. They were wide open, shocked, and his pupils looked smaller from that distance. He was completely motionless, as if he were waiting for something bad to happen and fear had paralyzed him.

Papyrus frowned, and only then he realized that the atmosphere was slightly cold. There wasn't any breeze blowing past, and the skeleton figured it had to do with the timeline's strange weather given that the eerie clouds were piling up into a black mass again–

Hold on.

Skeletons could not feel cold.

But that sensation kept rising, and it didn't take long for Papyrus to put two and two together and assume that something was very, _very_ wrong. He shivered lightly, brushing his arm. That wasn't any ordinary cold. It was... odd, in a certainly bad way. _It was_ _wrong._ Why was the grass losing color...?

"HUH?"

The tall skeleton startled, glancing over at his brother to see him perplexed; all the flowers he had collected slowly lost their vibrant coloration until they were tainted in a dark, strange shade of grey and fell down from his bandanna like dead leaves. Yes, he could see it; the grass was gradually taking that same color too, only lighter. Blue orbs stared at the one flower the gloved hand held, watching its pretty colors dim. The flowers didn't wither, or shrivel; simply lost their spark.

When Papyrus nervously looked back at Dream, his head was slightly raised and fearful eyes were darting in every direction as though he had seen a foul ghost. He was shivering like there was no tomorrow, and to say he was terrified was an understatement.

Papyrus stood up in a hurry, seeing how the atmosphere constantly grew darker and _darker_ and colder and more sinister. Blueberry backed up by his side, perplexed fear staining two blue eyes that had been cheerful just a moment ago. Unknown giggles filled the background; they reminded Blueberry of how his older brother laughed, but those were far more demented and devilish.

_**"looking for something?"** _

The tall skeleton whirled around at the speed of light, a hand protectively in front of the smaller monster as Papyrus came face to face with three doppelgangers yielding short swords as dark as the entirety of their bodies was.

The trio of figures grinned with sharp teeth at the other two's reaction to their sudden presence, not at all intimidated by the glower they received from their lighter counterpart. "what- who the _heck_ are you?" Papyrus threateningly asked, the ever so faint glimmer of an orange gaze already glowing ominously in his eye. He didn't have time for a neutral approach; those three didn't look friendly, and their tar-colored bodies reminded him of someone he did _not_ want to see.

The menacing copies of him where not yet taken aback, but they didn't seem at the ready to attack either and stayed where they were in a staring match. _**"temper there,"**_ the one on the left and differentiable for his nastier-looking scar across the blank eye, otherwise known as 2 as told by the golden number highlighted in his battle body, chuckled. _**"we didn't come here to hurt you, so you'd better not go 'round asking for trouble."**_

 _ **"indeed,"**_ 1, as told by the same number carved on the side of his shadowed battle body, hissed threateningly. _**"don't look for bad things where there are none. can we agree on that?"**_ His head tilted hauntingly as 3 beside him laughed with crazed malice. In any other case, Blueberry would have already started drowning them with questions, but something was holding him back; something in the shape of uneasiness and cold, and he didn't like it one bit.

_"so why the hell are you here then–"_

Papyrus was so confused and baffled at his other three selves and the safety of his brother that he hadn't realized how hostile he was being until his mind clicked a little too late, and he would have lashed out at the tallest of the trio if it weren't for the fact that he raised his sword to the other's chest as to keep him away.

 _ **"ah-ah-ah, what did i just say?"**_ he scolded mockingly, and Papyrus found himself frozen in place for two seconds before taking a step back; Blueberry had been holding on to his sleeve, and his sudden grasp brought the older brother to realize that if those three were not there to hurt them, then it was better not to aggravate them no matter the reason. He couldn't risk hurting his brother in the process.

Again.

 _ **"good,"**_ 1 commented with a grin, lowering his blade. _**"see? no harm will come to you unless you decide to be that one brave idiot. unfortunately, you are not as important as the little ball of sunshine over there, so watch your step because we will not hesitate to kill you. capiche?"**_

The skeleton clad in orange growled in response as the smaller one further hid behind him, and risked a worried glance at Dream whilst making sure none of the three doppelgangers tried anything. The caped skeleton had very well noticed the ominous presence within the timeline; he had stood up and was trying to back away while hiding the obvious pain still lingering on his broken femur, but he seemed frozen in place.

There were so many thoughts swarming him that he couldn't even feel himself; the echoes of a presence all too dark kept him motionless, paralyzed by fear. Everything was telling him to run and hide before the situation escalated, but his body would not respond and all Dream could do was stare at the three same skeletons who had nearly taken his life not that long ago.

He didn't like the look of shock on Blueberry when he briefly glanced at him, and suddenly, the excruciating coldness felt ridiculously heavy. Where was that dark, dreadful aura coming from…?

_**"Why, hello, Dream."** _

The chills across his spine went to the point of being straight up painful, and it felt like the air was unbreathable as Dream whirled around in utter terror only to come face to face with the glimmer of a malicious blue eye staring directly at him. A devilish grin highlighted in the ominous mass of black, and widened in delight at the expected reaction.

All of Papyrus' alarms blared, and he completely forgot about the three dark copies he had right in front of him as he tried to rush in without time to think, but the pitch black swords hissing in his way stopped him before he could take one full step forth; he heard his brother yelp in surprise, and stepped back with him with a hostile scowl.

 _ **"i would stop right there,"**_ 2 grinned, not lowering his weapon unlike the other two. _**"as said before, your lil' pal is gonna be just fine in terms of not dying. we're only here to teach y'all a lesson you'll appreciate, but we do have orders to kill you if you try to step in. honestly, 3 here is very eager about that, so don't encourage him."**_

Said skeleton laughed – more like wheezed – in response; that thing looked seriously deranged and incapable of actual speech thus far, and it really was Papyrus' last option to go through any of them. Core had mentioned something about Nightmare not being able to kill his brother, anyway, hadn't they? However, that didn't meant he was going to be able to relax and wait knowing that Dream was in actual danger; hurting and killing were very different things, and that madman seemed really fond of the former.

Shaking like a leaf and pupils smaller than pinpricks, Dream staggered back as his grinning brother slowly closed the distance between them. Each step he took shrouded the grass in darkness, the blades shriveling without life until everything around him looked as soulless as he was.

 ** _"What? Are you not happy to see your big bro again?"_** Nightmare chuckled, grin widening when the greyscale ground beneath Dream became pitch black and baffled him into falling back, surrounded by the utter feeling of dread. Panic rising beyond what the small skeleton could handle, Dream tried to continue backing away, even though it didn't take him long to find himself cornered against the hill behind him.

He felt like he was in the middle of a gale; the coldness of fear was so strong that he was numbed.

Uttering a dark, malevolent chuckle, Nightmare kept advancing with the intention of harming written on each of his steps. **_"That's a pity. I, for one, was eager to see you again. After all, hurting you is always a fun pastime."_** Dream quivered and whimpered in sheer terror, tears prickling at his eyes as he pressed himself against the wilting wall behind him when the heartless aura of the other began to get way too close for comfort. **_"It's not like you do anything but give me reasons to hurt you. What a foolish idea, to c_** ** _͟_** ** _al_** ** _l_** ** _̴_** ** _f_** ** _̧_** ** _or_** ** _̡_** ** _h_** ** _̨_** ** _e_** ** _̷̛͠_** ** _l_** ** _͟_** ** _p_** ** _."_**

Dream had half a second to see what seemed like an incoming strike, and he instinctively threw his arms over his head and shrunk, bracing himself for more pain through terrified whimpers.

Nothing happened.

Despite the tense silence after what truly looked like an attack that never came, Dream didn't dare to move or open his tightly shut eyes. He just waited. It was all he could do; resign to his imminent fate. Be it torture or torment, he was no longer someone to do anything about it.

A laugh came afterwards, short and derisive. **_"So this is what's left of our little ball of sunshine. A pathetic, frightened crybaby. Honestly, I don't know if to laugh or pity you."_** Shivering and sobbing, his brother let one eye flutter open, but no more movement was made whatsoever. As suspected, the strike had been a mere bluff, but Dream was too panic-stricken to consider it harmless. **_"But I didn't come back here to ramble on about how pitiful you are."_** His breathing hitched further when the imposing skeleton adopted a more serious tone, and he knew that the cruel taunting was over.

 **_"Did you_ ** **really _think you still had a chance? Did you really think a little bit of help would get you out of this? Truthfully, you're nothing but a naïve-"_**

" _he_ didn't ask for help. _we_ decided to help."

Nightmare found himself frozen in disbelief for a few seconds before slowly turning around, expression blank yet ominous enough to force an encouraged Papyrus to take a cautious step back. Seeing as he had gotten the melting skeleton's full attention, the three specters slightly backed off.

Sincerely, Papyrus didn't know why he did that. He simply did, and he'd have to deal with its consequences. It was one of those times where he believed he was too kind for his own good, much like his brother.

 ** _"Why am I not surprised?"_** Nightmare lowly commented, flashing an almost content grin at the other. **_"Of course, there always has to be someone ready to pry into matters they don't belong in. Heh, I knew I was missing someone…"_**

Papyrus took another step back, making sure Blueberry was as safe as he could possibly behind him and that all three of his doppelgangers were at sight. He didn't want to cause a fight. He really did not want to, because he could find himself dead in the blink of an eye. Himself, and somebody else.

He couldn't afford that.

Yet, he couldn't afford watching Dream undergo more unfair torment.

 ** _"You have some courage in you, I'll say that."_** Nightmare snickered, earning a growl from the tall skeleton; he figured that pretending not to be afraid could save him much trouble, but he wasn't sure and that made him feel too uneasy. **_"And you're fortunate, too. You know, as small as the multiverse is now… I figured I would need some more entertainment."_**

All signs of hostility left Papyrus' traits to become bewildered, and the grin of white seemed to widen at the obvious confusion.

**_"Indeed, as you might have figured, I'm not going to kill you anytime soon. Not even after trying to somehow undo all my hard work."_ **

Eyes fully fixed on the monster right in front of him, the only thought that went through Dream's racing mind was to get out of there while he still had a slim yet open chance. His minuscule pupils glanced at his side for a moment, and maybe, just maybe, he could slip away while nobody was paying enough attention.

Trying to stay low and quiet as Nightmare's attention further slipped away from him, Dream slowly inched backwards, shivering as he hoped and prayed that none of the four dark, ill-willed entities noticed his desperate attempt to escape.

It was too bad that Nightmare hadn't turned fully away from him, and it was too bad that he hadn't been in his blind spot.

His whole body froze when all ongoing words stopped and a contracted blue eye moved to meet his terrified ones, and despite all common sense his panicked mind could muster to tell him to make a run for it, Dream couldn't move. After all, it only took Nightmare a couple of seconds to react, but the brief outstaring went by in slow motion for the horrified skeleton.

A flash of black shot right at him, and Dream could tell that one hadn't been a bluff when his battered spine and light skull harshly met the darkened ground beneath him as the two tentacles coiled around his neck effectively pinned him.

With little time to think twice, Papyrus took advantage of his dark replicas' distraction to rush past them, and was half about to summon the first attack that came to his panicked mind when something restrained his wrist, forcing him to stop and glance at the source.

He had a single second to show his shock when he found himself glaring at 2 before he was hurled to the ground, and any attempt to get back up was stopped by a pitch black foot on his ribcage and a sword pointed at his head, accompanied by a fanged, white grin. _ **"you're not much of a listener, are ya?"**_  2 taunted, but it wasn't him who held the entirety of Papyrus' attention.

"PAP!"

The panicked shriek of his brother as he tried to run to him only to be scooped up by 3 further encouraged the panic that was making the orange clad skeleton feel lightheaded, but upon seeing that neither he nor Blueberry were in the way of pain and death as long as they didn't fight back, Papyrus decided not to risk anything.

 _ **"as we've already said,"** _ 1 angrily commented, _ **"your petty friend won't die. so if you want to have his same luck, quit trying to be some sort of hero."**_

Papyrus glowered, but didn't try to fight back even though he wasn't a fan of having a sword so close to his skull. He could catch that skeleton by surprise, but he would rather wait. If either Dream or Blueberry came too close to death, then he would make sure all hell broke loose.

By the other hand, Dream didn't have the privilege of simply giving up when he could hardly breathe and was completely at the mercy of someone who wanted nothing but to tear him apart. His eyes were shut tight and he couldn't see the malicious glare his brother was giving him, _**"You think you're very clever, don't you?"**_

All signs of hostility left Nightmare's one-eyed expression, however, to be replaced with intrigue shown by a small head tilt, soon followed by a grin. _**"Well, now this looks... oddly familiar."** _ Only to drag out his brother's suffering even longer, he pretended to recall something he could clearly remember. _**"I wonder... Where could I have seen this before?"**_

His hold tightened, closing the already small window of time Dream had left before it was too late for him. _**"It's a pity... this is how you should've died in the first place. I really wish I could kill you now."** _ He chuckled as his brother's pathetic struggling became weaker and weaker. _**"Unfortunately, I'll have to let you go in... not long from now, so let me tell you how this is going to go down."**_

Despite being literally seconds away from death, Dream allowed one of his trembling eyes to open and weakly look at his sibling's merciless smile. _**"You are not going to run away once I set you free. Because, if you do, this will have to end with more than a few broken bones. And we don't want that, do we?"**_ Dream tried to shake his head, but the minuscule action seemed to tighten the deathly hold.

He could barely stay conscious...

_**"Just what I thought."** _

Albeit slowly, Nightmare let him go. Dream recoiled as he wheezed, but made no attempt to escape and was way more focused on breathing. He didn't hear the heartless chuckle through his trembling gasps, but he warily side-glanced at Nightmare when he noticed the ominous, black figure walking past him to crouch in front of him. The smaller skeleton kept his gaze away, shivering.

_**"This is your first and only warning. If anyone tries to help you again, no matter how or why, don't expect me to be anywhere near as merciful as I am being now. I know everything. This wretched multiverse belongs to me now, and it doesn't matter how much I'll have to hurt you until you accept that it's over."** _

Not expecting any kind of answer, he stood up and walked away, glaring at the others. Papyrus didn't seem content with his threat, to the point where he finally lost his hostility and showed true, unmasked concern and fear. _**"Let them go. We are done here."**_

The two specters complied, and both brothers were quick to get away from them and reunite protectively. Nightmare gave them one last glare, enough to spread the coldness that kept nipping at them.

 _ **"You'd better remember this. If you really care that much, you will start to mind your own business."**_ He paused for a moment, before grinning again. _**"Oh, by the way..."**_

He stomped on the ground, sending a freezing shockwave of darkness all across the timeline; all the grass became dark as night, and the eerie yet calm atmosphere adopted a chilling tone as light dropped.

_**"Now it looks better."** _

Laughing like a maniac, Nightmare and his henchmen disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, leaving the two skeletons to mentally rejoice not being dead or even hurt for that matter, despite all odds.

The other, horrified skeleton, however, wished his brother had taken his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adding personalities to these dark-papyrus-thingies is hard. T-T


	6. Do Help, Do Not Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was his own fault for falling asleep, wasn't it?

They were taking so long.

Why were they taking so long?

_Gosh_ they should've been back already.

Papyrus wanted to keep the last remaining bits of peace together, but it proved to be an extremely difficult task when he also had to keep himself from having a panic attack as bad as Dream's. Speaking of, his phobic behavior since Nightmare left well more than an hour ago had kept him extremely alarmed.

He had run into that strange cave and hadn't come out yet, neither did he show signs of ever doing so for that matter; he was hugging himself in the far corner, back turned to everything, sniffling and mumbling unintelligible things as he shook like he was facing his own earthquake. Blueberry, not far from panicking as well, found out the hard way that comforting him was not a good idea, because he wept like he was about to get murdered when the blue skeleton stood three steps behind him.

Papyrus was seriously starting to worry, and he feared that he wouldn't be able to handle it anymore if Sci and Core didn't return or show signs of life in the next five minutes at max. Before disaster struck, he was deeply considering calling out for the monochromatic child, but he no longer found it safe to move from where they were. The feeling of being watched kept nagging him.

Hands behind his back, he kept walking around in circles, eyes fixed on the dead ground; he didn't know why he wasn't dizzy yet, because he could recall that he had been doing that for a considerable amount of time. Sometimes he would look up and hope he saw the two figures he would hug step through one of the doors, but that miracle didn't come.

He also hoped to look up and see his brother smile like nothing was wrong again.

That didn't happen either.

Seeing him moping like that wasn't a sight he wanted to behold, ever, yet he was being forced to. Those strange mood changes and his manipulated demeanor had never caused him to act like that, and Papyrus had a feeling that whatever Nightmare had done to the timeline didn't only affect its appearance.

He still felt cold. It wasn't a farfetched possibility.

Sadly.

Sighing exasperatedly, he walked up to a small hillock and let himself slump against it, looking up into the sky with a lost glance. The amount of static clouds up there didn't match the darkness of the area; the sky in general was so much brighter and even comforting in comparison to everything else. There was a gentle breeze, but the coldness that most definitely didn't belong there lingered.

Papyrus gave his brother a sideways glance, trying to hide his own fear. The smaller skeleton seemed to be pondering, or simply trying to keep his mind blank. Papyrus didn't know what to do, and that made him feel utterly worthless. He didn't know how to deal with those _things_ out there. He didn't know how to keep himself calm. He didn't know how to take Dream out of his panic attack. He didn't know how to get his little brother to say something.

He gritted his teeth, holding in a scream.

Everything was just collapsing.

**_"lookin' a little sulky, ey 0?"_ **

The dark shadow observing from afar narrowed his eyes in silence, not even bothering to glance at what definitely sounded like practically any of his 'partners'. It had become routine to call him 0, because really, that was what they considered him to be. The lowest in rank. The most meaningless minion in the bunch. 82 had learnt to accept it. What else could he do? He was one of the weakest, after all, and he feared that lashing out at the others could cost him his life.

**_"who told you this was_** **your _mission, 40?"_** the sullen specter mumbled in irritation, catching sight of the golden number on the other's pitch black body as he smugly sat beside him. He kept his glance focused on the vast, dark distance before him; he didn't feel like talking.

**_"can this be considered a mission tho?"_** the other laughed quietly as to not reveal their position, even though the monsters they were spying on were far away and the saddening trio didn't seem to be in the mood to pay attention. **_"pfft, just watching over those three simpletons, how boring is that?"_**

82's eyes narrowed further, but he made no comment. Truthfully, 40 was between those he considered his 'friends', but not the term anyone else would use. They were often the ones paired together for missions of little importance, as the other one wasn't precisely an aggressive monster compared to the rest. That didn't mean he didn't mock him whenever he could, though, and 82 only tolerated him to a certain point.

After all, it was hard to gain so-called friends in a world where everything was fighting, torturing, kidnapping and bringing pain and terror in general. Lovely life Nightmare had given them.

**_"well, i mean, you're the one who failed to look after a freakin' statue, so that speaks a lot-"_ **

**_"you still haven't answered my question."_** 82 angrily cut him off, still not making eye contact even though he knew the other's empty white eyes were staring at him with mild contempt.

**_"aww, come on, are you really mad at that? nobody's on a mission but you right now, so i just guessed i could hang out with my dear old pal instead of staring at the beautiful black walls of the castle."_ **

The other skeleton rolled his eyes – or pretended to, though, as he had no real pupils to make the action notable – before panning his attention back to his objective. It seemed as if his lighter counterpart had finally made some real movement, and was now beside his brother, probably trying to comfort him somehow.

He didn't know why, but a part of him… ached at the sight of that. He laughed mentally; what an interesting feeling. He literally had been created to be a heartless servant incapable of feeling remorse for those he hurt, and there he was, feeling _bad_ for a bunch of helpless skeletons that would ultimately die in the end. He really didn't understand himself. And he hated it. He _loathed_ it.

That was why Dream was even out there in the first place. Because he felt bad. He had felt bad when he found himself alone with a confused little skeleton that didn't remember a thing and was freaking out over the darkness that surrounded him. He had felt bad when he couldn't bring himself to alert Nightmare or anyone else for that matter and left the prisoner just about enough time to escape.

He had felt bad when he realized he had failed because he was being what he wasn't supposed to be. How ridiculous.

**_"hey, you could at least give me some conversation y'know."_** 40 commented, the tone in his voice obviously bored as he shifted to look at something else other than a couple of sad brothers. Not that there was much to see, though, other than black waving grass. **_"i didn't come here to be equally as bored, so you should_** –"

**_"shh."_ **

40 jolted ever so slightly at the sudden hastiness on 82's voice, and noticed some unusual movement nearby, right where his partner was so intently focused on. One of the doors, a green one with scribbles they couldn't see from all the way over there, opened to reveal two figures that were apparently talking to each other.

Papyrus' heart gave five hundred jumps of pure joy when he heard the creaking of a door opening, and the way he immediately turned to look at the patch of colorful entrances was enough to startle his pensive sibling; honestly, he felt so relieved that he would've liked to have a mirror at hand to make sure his eyes hadn't turned into stars.

Conversing, and rather seriously, Core and Sci stepped through the door that would, oddly, lead to the crumbling universe of Underhaven as opposed to anything related to Dreamtale. They were looking at each other as they spoke, and it wasn't until the human took a few steps in that they realized something was seriously wrong; Sci jumped back at the sight, his words cutting short as Core's trailed off.

Their first thought, despite what would be of common sense, wasn't _what literally just happened here._ It was the wellbeing of the three inhabitants that silently sent their alarms blaring, but Papyrus' voice calling out for them stopped them before they started panicking and shouting all around for any of them.

The tall skeleton ran up to them like they were the saviors of the world – they weren't far from obtaining that title, truthfully – with his brother following behind him, and even though he didn't sport the full smile he had retained thus far, the spark of hopefulness was keeping that reassuring glow in his eyes.

"jeez, where the heck have you been?" It was Papyrus' enthusiasm speaking for him, but Core was quick to note how distraught he was and the fact that he rushed at them like a little child only increased their already growing worry as they looked all around.

_"W-what happened here?"_ they nearly squeaked, having expected anything but a desolated timeline and a very distraught Papyrus once they came back.

"way too many things…" the skeleton sighed, "why did it take you guys so long?"

Even though he knew there was nothing he could have possibly done, Sci felt guilt all over him as he took his attention off the wasted environment. "Long story. Turns out there wasn't any door that led to Dreamtale here for whatever reason, so we had to go across the remnants of the multiverse to find the only one who could take us anywhere. And that, uh, was Fresh."

Papyrus paused from his near heart attack to frown. "wasn't he in the omega timeline?"

" _He was,"_ Core clarified, " _But he's emotionless, so he meant nothing to Nightmare and was able to get away."_

And not even getting away actually saved him, anyway. When the duo finally managed to locate him – by pure coincidence, too, – they found that he was acting really strange, and would snap out of character every once in a while. If Core had to describe him, they would use the term 'twitchy' and even creepy, but he helped them nevertheless. He seemed too focused on Sci throughout the short travel, though, making his company even more unnerving.

"But the important thing is that we actually got there." the scientist continued, looking nervous, "and we've gotten more than enough clues. We have some important information now, as well as fairly good news, but at the same time we have pretty bad news. Even though… where's Dream?"

Papyrus crossed his arms, glancing over at the hill with the glowing cave. "in there. nightmare attacked us." Both human and scientist gasped silently at his statement. "none of us is hurt, even though i can't say the same for the timeline. and when i say 'we're not hurt', i mean we're not _physically_ hurt. dream's been freaking out since. maybe… think you can do something?"

"C-can't be sure." Sci said lowly, as the group slowly walked towards the small cavern. "From what we've been told, this may not be easy to fix. But we haven't tried yet, so let's not jump into conclusions."

The white clad skeleton had to stop for a moment and stare in awe at everything that decorated the grotto, and so had Core who hadn't yet gotten a proper look at such an enigmatic place. Blueberry was the first and only to fully step in, though he waited near the entrance for the others as they inspected the small cave.

"Huh… Did Ink make all of this…?" Sci muttered, earning a small shrug from the taller skeleton next to him.

"probably. but as to why or when, i have no idea."

The scientist observed the downgrading sketches with a pensive frown. He had never known Ink all that well personally, but he had no idea he could ever have such depressing thoughts. _If_ all of that was drawn and written before the incident, of course, but he had no saying on that. "I see. Uh, anyway-"

He was quick to notice the shivering figure curled in a corner, and could literally feel his hopes going away. He didn't know if the information he had received would make it all better, or worse. It wasn't easy to stay positive at such a sight, especially not knowing what had just happened. The fact that Papyrus and his brother were alive _and_ unharmed was a miracle.

"I TRIED TO COMFORT HIM, BUT IT JUST MADE IT WORSE." Blueberry guiltily admitted; he knew it hadn't been his fault – he of course hadn't meant to scare Dream half to death by simply approaching, but the thought of having done that felt like a boulder on his back.

"Mh," Sci hummed, slowly approaching. Core walked right beside him, hoping for the best even though they knew the solution to their problem would be hard to reach. He stopped when he was no more than five feet away from Dream, and it was then when he could notice that he was sobbing.

After a blink, he kept his voice soft as he said, "Are you hurt? Do you need anything?" He raised his own expectations when the sniveling seemed to slowly ceasing moments after his question, but it still triggered no answer and his ever so faint smile disappeared. "You know we're here to help you. Even if you don't appreciate it, we're still here for that."

Dream visibly shivered, hugging himself further. And while Sci hurriedly wondered where he had messed up, remembrance was quick to hit Papyrus. "oh, and… there's something else." When all attention was panned towards him, he sighed before continuing, "the reason nightmare came here wasn't to hurt us, but to threaten us. warned us that if we tried anything to help dream, he would hurt him."

Eyes slowly widened at his statement, and Sci grit his teeth as he looked back at the cowering skeleton. "That's not good…" he muttered.

_"B-but…"_ Core murmured in concern, _"We_ have _to do something."_

"can we really?" Papyrus asked, rhetorically. "if helping actually means making it worse, then… what _do_ we do?"

_"No… there has to be some way. We have to fix this somehow, we cannot just leave him like this."_

"You just want me to die. Don't… don't you…"

Perplexed, lightly taken aback eyes looked at the sniffling figure. Even though he was still under the control of his own, irrational fear, Dream spoke with enmity as though the concerned group of monsters behind him were the most loathed entities in the world.

Sci found himself at a lack of words, and under the tense silence and with an uneasy frown, Papyrus tried to bring some sense into the trembling skeleton's weak words, "N-no, of course we don't-"

"Liar."

The silence came back for a few seconds, and disquiet soon began to take over; before they could tell, everyone was feeling overly anxious. Dream still didn't look at them, or even move, when he continued in a hushed, quivering voice, "You're all… You're all liars… You couldn't care less about _me_ … all you care about is what I can _do_ …"

Sci could pretty much _feel_ the small skeleton's paranoia – not helpful when it came to making his sudden anxiety decrease, – and despite what Blueberry had told him about approaching, he still tried to at least reach out for his shoulder with a soothing, "Come on, that's not true, we just-"

_"Don't touch me!"_

The scientist immediately flinched back, slowly losing his shocked traits to hopelessness. It was then when Dream finally made eye contact, though he merely gave him and everyone else a small sideways glance with a narrowed, tear-filled eye that screamed distrust and unease. "So what is your excuse then. Why would you keep helping me if you know I'll be the one to pay for it. You don't care... I know you don't. You only care about yourselves."

Dream harshly looked away, burying his face into his crossed arms as more tears threatened to come out, "And you s-shouldn't care about anything at all. You can't help me. Just... just accept you can't. J-just accept it's all lost... I did..." He sobbed, paused, then whispered, "You can just kill me for all I care."

* * *

One droplet. Two droplets. Three, four, five...

"oh come on, really?"

The drizzle proved to be inescapable, so the group of nervous friends had no other option but to let it slowly soak them. Blueberry had to snicker; his brother looked so weird with his hoodie on. He barely ever used it, so the sight was rather amusing. Somewhat nostalgic, too.

While rain had always been something amazing and relaxing for the young skeleton, the older one had never liked it. Especially because they had only ever seen it in Waterfall; _their_ Waterfall; the Waterfall that no longer existed and that they would never see again. While Blueberry smiled sadly at the memory of Alphys making him run under the rain, Papyrus frowned at it.

He didn't want to remember what he could no longer have.

Unfazed by the irregular drops of water, Sci found it amusing to watch as the small raindrops plummeted through Core's incorporeal body, who eagerly held their arm out and watched the rain fall through it. It still tickled, somehow.

The drizzle was a relief, in some ways. Not everything Sci and Core had told the other two was nice, and they felt guilt at making them so nervous. Thus far, they knew that the reason why Nightmare couldn't kill his brother was because they were bound by their feelings; if any of them were left without their energy, said bond would shatter.

That was when Core told them that, according to Dream himself, neither of the two brothers could be fully devoid of their respective feelings unless something beyond what they could handle happened to them; that was the good news, as such statement meant Dream could still be saved. Then, of course, in came the bad news. That those 'mood changes' occurred because all positivity in the world was slowly fading, and that everything would be lost if they didn't find a solution fast.

A light conversation began, in an attempt to ease the tension, though Blueberry stayed out of it and preferred to look up into the sky. The weather was all too weird, he was aware of that. Almost as it if tried to match the current situation. The small rain began right after everyone showed clear signs of distress much like the cold breeze a while ago stopped immediately when Dream couldn't take it anymore.

It was interesting.

Blueberry was sighing when he saw something that stuck out among the blacks and grays of the environment through the corner of his eye, and lightly glanced at the hill with the cave. He hadn't expected to see Dream standing at the entrance, expression blank yet curious as he looked at the clouds above; it was a rather nice unexpected surprise.

He had never liked stormy weather, but there was one type of rain he loved and had only experienced twice: a soft, gentle drizzle, not cold or heavy, much like the one he was admiring. It reminded him of many things, things that would and should make him want to go back inside and mourn but didn't. The scenery reminded him of someone, someone dear to him... he couldn't remember who that was. He felt like he shouldn't remember.

The blue skeleton looked at him intently for the full minute he stood there, motionless, tilting his head inquisitively when Dream slowly walked towards the side of the hill and sat against it without making eye contact with the others.

Nothing thus far had made him react like that. It gave Blueberry new reasons to hope. He held on to those like his life depended on it. Who knew, perhaps it did.

Things stayed like that for quite a while; quite a peaceful while, especially considering how dreadful the once cheery and cozy timeline was like. Dream's certainly positive response to the unusual rain got the best of everybody's attention, but they decided to leave him his space. Sci was the first to advise so, yet Blueberry still had that urge to be by his side. It hurt to see someone who needed help and couldn't get any without coming across harm.

The conversation had steered towards how skeptical Core was about Nightmare's threat, and how much they tried to believe he was bluffing to keep them away from Dream. Even though they were empty beliefs, Papyrus backed them up by questioning how Nightmare even knew what was happening there, soon receiving agreement. They needed as much hope as possible.

While they discussed how to help adequately, Blueberry decided to stay beside Dream despite the scientist's hesitation about it, even though the blue skeleton let them know that he had fallen asleep and some company wouldn't hurt. It was a reassuring sight, according to Sci. Someone with such anxiety wouldn't let their guard down just like that, let alone be able to sleep soundly.

Despite it not being his type of weather, Papyrus wanted that small drizzle to last forever.

* * *

**_"they seem to be back at it."_ **

Even though he had no saying as to what would or wouldn't happen, 82 didn't like giving out the type of information that was sure to aggravate Nightmare's already irate mood. 40 by his side didn't matter all that much to him, because he still felt like he was about to have his head blown off. He never liked it when Nightmare kept his back turned to whoever spoke to him; it meant he was either uninterested or enraged.

**_"I see."_** was all he said after a small yet tense moment of silence, and 82 fidgeted before daring to say another word. He couldn't avoid being nervous, like the apocalypse would crumble on top of him if he said anything Nightmare didn't want to hear or wasn't content with. It was hard to tell what kind of information he was seeking for.

**_"shall we... eliminate the meddlers?"_ **

There was a thoughtful pause. If there was something Nightmare truly disliked, it was people who thought they had every right to pry into others' business like it was their job to do so. Yet, he found it amusing. It was a delicate balance. After all, he wasn't talking about anyone important to the multiverse such as the deceased creator. He was talking about mere characters from a worthless universe.

Who did they think they were? Heroes? Nightmare snickered mentally; right when he thought his brother was the fool in the bunch, a couple skeletons who held no more importance than those in the Alpha Timeline came in like some super-powered monsters to try and save the day, along with a child who had nothing else to do in the multiverse and a scientist suffering from anxiety. How pathetic. How pitiful. How laughable.

It was why he hadn't killed those two back there. They thought they had a chance; they thought everyone did. They were just like some amusing clones of his brother, ready to be there and talk about rainbows as the end of the world loomed upon them. He grinned at the thought; hoping was useless, an excuse to ignore unbearable pain.

**_"Heh, no. Let them be. I want to see just how far they can go until they realize they are goners."_ **

The two Papyruses stepped back when the superior skeleton turned to look at them, grinning as maliciously as always; it made the duo feel uneasy as they slightly averted their white gaze. **_"Go back to the timeline, and let me know how our little friends react to the consequences of their mistakes."_**

Both nodded as they vanished without saying a word, not questioning what kind of consequences he was talking about.

**_"1."_ **

Said skeleton startled at hearing his name being growled, and straightened attentively when a blue eye landed on him. **_"Take a few scouts with you and search through the remnants of the multiverse. Notify me of every single universe still intact, but don't you dare kill anybody. You are allowed to have your share of fun, though."_**

1 couldn't hide a lopsided grin. **_"right on, my lord."_**

As everyone on sight was put to work, Nightmare's ominous gaze panned towards what would be the sky - somewhat eerie in comparison to the general darkness; the stars shining above were oddly reassuring and peaceful.

Truth to be told, Nightmare hadn't expected less from that worthless group of monsters. Despite his clear warning, he was sure they would jump on to action nevertheless. He wasn't about to complain; the more they tried, the more they would suffer. Especially certain little depressed sibling of his.

Nightmare had actually been eager to hear Dream was still getting help; he had always wanted him to know what true nightmares felt like. They shared - or at least, used to share - a rather interesting ability; Dream was able to transform the innocent's nightmares into a peaceful sleep, while his brother could manipulate the night terrors of those who hated themselves.

Overtime, that little ability of his became more powerful, to the point where he could manifest himself in their minds and twist their nightmares into horrific, traumatic events that scarred them for life. It would be a pity if Dream had to endure such horror. It was his own fault for falling asleep, wasn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit school is back. >.< Welp, if it takes me an eternity to update, you now know why.
> 
> Also next chapter is going to be really violent. Nightmare fuel, never better said. Sorry not sorry.


	7. Night Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream refused to open his eyes. What was in front of him, all around him, wasn't beautiful. His brother, his real brother, would have never thought such thing was beautiful. Where was his brother? Why wasn't his brother with him…? What had he done wrong…?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It hurt me to write this one. ;~;
> 
> bLAME IT ON MY SISTER.

_The rustling of grass, the sound of laughter, the tweets of birds, it all sounded like paradise. Everyone, no matter if they were working, or conversing, or playing, smiled at the two giggling figures that barreled past them in an endless game of tag, zigzagging through vegetation and bystanders like everything was one big obstacle course._

_The exhausting yet fun race ended at the top of a hill overlooking the entire village and its surroundings, and Dream was the first to sit down in order to get some real rest. Nightmare slumped down soon after, the both of them still giggling as they panted. "You're still not fast enough," the supposedly older brother chimed, receiving a mocking grimace from the other._

_The day had gone by at the speed of light, and the two siblings finally settled down at the sight of a beautiful sunset announcing night. The scenery was even more enchanting from up there; they could see the yellow reflection on the water, the silhouettes of people watching, the Tree's leaves covered in fiery orange light._

_It was beautiful. There was no other word for it._

_Dream and Nightmare contemplated the sun's descent in comfortable silence; the youngest closed his eyes at the gentle breeze that blew past them, making the grass and fern rustle in harmony. He couldn't have wished for a better ending to that precious day. There was nothing better than seeing his brother happy, let alone spending an entire day together just having fun like there was nobody else in the world._

_"...so why didn't you do anything?"_

_Dream's eyes opened in a frown, glancing over at his brother. He wasn't looking at him, rather at the beautifully colored clouds in the distance._

_"Anything about what?"_

_His question got no immediate answer, and the small skeleton tilted his head. Nightmare sounded distraught, yet he had done nothing but laugh and smile all day long. Was there something he wasn't catching up with? Dream couldn't help being a little concerned, but he couldn't recall anything bad happening. They hadn't been separated for a single minute, and no smile had been lost._

_"You care about me, don't you?"_

_Dream blinked, unsure about the strange questions his brother was asking him out of the blue. It had an eerie sarcastic intonation, but Dream steered past it. "Of course! More than anything. Why wouldn't I?"_

_Nightmare smothered a barely audible laugh drenched in unusual contempt. "Then why didn't you help me."_

_"…help you with what?"_

_The older sibling stood up wordlessly, still not facing a puzzled Dream who was frowning at him with concern and confusion. The sun was a few seconds away from disappearing behind the horizon, taking its light with it. The clouds up ahead shone with pink and purple outlines, radiating peace. Yet, Dream didn't feel that peace. Something was… off._

_"Why did you let it happen. Why didn't you try harder."_

_Nightmare's usually calm voice was losing itself into what sounded like a faint growl; not an angry or annoyed one, but a daunting and uncanny one, and Dream stepped towards him in deep concern. "I- I really don't know what you're talking about–"_

_"_ _̨_ _Yo_ _̨_ _u_ _͜_ _d_ _͟_ _on_ _͘_ _'t_ _̡_ _̵_ _ca_ _̴_ _re."_

 _The caped skeleton jumped back at the sight of an eyeless expression filled with black, oozing tears... were those really tears? They looked too eerie, like ink dripping out of Nightmare's eyes. Despite having no pupils, the hollow sockets of the oldest screamed hatred as he gritted his teeth. "Do you think I'm stupid? Do you really think you can just lie to me? If y_ _͞_ _o_ _u ̀t_ _͞_ _ŕư_ _l_ _͢_ _y c_ _̷_ _a_ _͞_ _re_ _̡ḑ_ _a_ _̕_ _b_ _̨_ _o_ _̧_ _ut m_ _͟_ _e y_ _̧_ _o_ _͏_ _ư_ _w_ _̶_ _o_ _̷_ _u_ _͜_ _l_ _͡_ _d'v_ _̨_ _e_ _̛_ _d_ _̨_ _one_ _͟_ _m̀or_ _͘_ _e!"_

_Dream couldn't understand anything, anything but the fact that he was terribly afraid and concerned, and that his brother was... melting...? The top of the sun could still be seen behind the heavy breathing skeleton for a few seconds before it was fully lost behind the horizon. A sight that had once been enchanting became horrifying in the blink of an eye, especially because his beloved sibling was being engulfed in tar and ghastly smoke._

_"Brother...?" Dream whimpered, only then noticing the ground beneath him turning pitch black; it was most definitely not a shadow that was casting darkness upon everything. He stepped back when the grass beneath him shriveled without life, fearful eyes of gold watching the ground below and behind him turn black as though an invisible fire was devouring everything in its path._

_If he had a real, pounding heart, it would have stopped, frozen with dread, when he looked back at his sibling; because where he stood just a moment ago was a menacing figure covered in tar, perpetually melting, looking down as it breathed heavily. Slowly, the mass of black looked up at him, with a contracted pupil of blue and a diabolical grin of white._

_Dream would have never assumed that creature was his brother had it not been for certain crown highlighted amongst the darkness. And yet… he wasn't even sure…_

**_"_** ** _͝_** ** _Loo_** ** _̶_** ** _k_** ** _̴_** **_͝_** ** _a_** ** _͡_** ** _t wha_** ** _̶_** ** _t_** ** _̴_** **_̛_** ** _yo_** ** _̵_** ** _u_** ** _'_** ** _v_** ** _̡ȩ_** **_̷_** ** _do_** ** _̢_** ** _ne."_**

_The caped skeleton was stupefied as he backed away from the being that claimed to be his only and dearest sibling, haunted by an echoing laughter that wasn't at all ordinary as if it belonged to a devilish specter. The last remaining light disappeared, and the night sky began to engulf everything in uncanny darkness until Dream could see nothing but the patch of scorched grass they stood on._

_The melting skeleton tilted his head, grin perpetual. **"Oh? Now you're afraid of your own brother?"**_

_That wasn't his brother. That couldn't be him. Yet... what if it was? What if it truly was him? Dream couldn't fight against the irrational fear that was surrounding him, but he forced himself to cease stepping back. He had to know what was happening. He had to know why such thing was happening._

_He had to know where his brother was._

**_"You poor little thing. Y_** ** _̶_** ** _ou_** ** _͜_** ** _l_** ** _̵_** ** _o_** ** _̴_** ** _ok_** ** _̢_** ** _ļ_** ** _i_** ** _̕_** ** _ke_** ** _̴_** ** _yo_** ** _̷_** ** _u n_** ** _̡_** ** _eed_** ** _͟_** **_͏_** ** _a_** ** _̨_** ** _h_** ** _ùģ_** ** _._** ** _̷_** ** _"_**

_His voice broke into a demonic garble as four tentacles shot from his back, shrouded by the darkness surrounding everything at that point. His mind was racing, begging him to do too many things, and Dream could only stare in shock as the appendages barreled towards him. He could hardly tell what was happening before they wrapped around his torso, knocking the wind out of his hypothetical lungs and pulling him towards the ominous silhouette._

**_"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you need to work on that reaction time, Dream. You're still not fast enough."_ **

_The coils around him tightened, slowly crushing him until he heard the crackling of frail bones, and a choked scream was forced out of him. "S... stop...!" He panted weakly, trying in vain to move and writhe out of the deadly grip. The dark, derisive chuckle in response didn't help._

_He weakly looked up to stare into a cold eye, his vision blurred._

**_"W_** ** _e_** ** _̴_** ** _lc_** ** _͞_** ** _ome_** ** _͝_** **_̕_** ** _to_** ** _̵_** ** _m_** ** _ỳ_** **_̵_** ** _s_** ** _͠_** ** _p_** ** _ȩ_** ** _ci_** ** _̛_** ** _á_** ** _l_** ** _͘_** ** _h_** ** _è_** ** _ḷ͢_** ** _l."_**

_Dream wasn't able to understand what happened next. He knew he heard himself screaming, he knew he heard his bones cracking and splintering, he knew he felt his body shatter under the pressure, yet it only lasted a second before he felt like he was falling through nowhere, all pain gone._

_That was, until he hit the ground. A ground that didn't exist, but that allowed him to regain his senses._

_Realizing he was free from the deadly grasp, Dream quickly shot back, still unable to get up; his legs felt like they weren't even there, and he couldn't think clearly. Everything around him was pitch black, and his mind was blank._

_There was nothing. Only darkness, a terrible silence, and the thought of having died._

_Panicking, he looked all around him, but only pure darkness was there to greet him. He couldn't find his voice as he slowly began to hyperventilate, making calling for help something impossible. He felt like he was being watched. He wanted to get out of there... whatever that place was._

_He heard something shoot past him, and gasped as he whirled towards the source of the noise only to find the same nothingness that stalked him from everywhere. A chuckle drenched in disdain followed; Dream couldn't see the blur moving across the dark space, but he knew he wasn't alone._

**_"Do you not like the darkness? Well, I can't blame you. You never know what might be waiting just around the corner..."_ **

_There were a few, small seconds of agonizing silence before something piercing the air caught Dream's attention, yet he couldn't tell where the approaching noise was coming from. Not until a terrible pain erupted from his shoulders, and he felt himself being violently pushed back and crashing against the hypothetical floor._

_The pain that came afterwards was too intense to let him move or scream, and all he could do was glance at his sides to find the two, knife-sharp tentacles embedded in his shoulders. He panicked, even more so when he finally saw the blue eye and white grin towering above him._

_It wasn't the pain that kept him motionless anymore; he was paralyzed by fear._

**_"Just_ ** **_͠_ ** **_l_ ** **_͢_ ** **_i_ ** **_͜_ ** **_ke_ ** **_̷_ ** **_t_ ** **_͠_ ** **_ha_ ** **_͠_ ** **_t."_ ** **_͏_ **

_Dream didn't dare to do anything but stare in terror; any movement he made, no matter how small, did nothing but increase the pain. He couldn't stop tears from prickling at his eyes. Tears of terror and agony._

_Nightmare feigned a compassionate smile, **"Really, there's no need to freak out. After all, none of this is real."**_

_As much as he wanted to, Dream didn't entirely believe it. Everything felt too real, except for the fact that he had literally felt himself die just a moment ago. He couldn't tell if he really was trapped in a twisted figment of his imagination or if everything was truly happening, but either way, it was equally painful._

**_"Then again..._** _" The grin widened, glinting with anticipation. Dream could only focus his attention on the other two tentacles aiming straight at his skull, whimpering. He made a small attempt at moving out of shock, but winced at the sharp stings in his shoulders. **"**_ ** _Tha_** ** _͢_** ** _t_** ** _͝_** ** _m_** ** _̵_** ** _e_** ** _á_** ** _ns_** ** _̴_** ** _I_** ** _̀_** **_͘_** ** _c_** ** _̢_** ** _a_** ** _ņ_** ** _̕_** **_́ḱ͡_** ** _ill_** ** _͘_** ** _you_** ** _̕_** **_͠_** ** _as m_** ** _̕_** ** _ąń_** ** _y_** ** _̨_** **_̕_** ** _t_** ** _̵_** ** _i_** ** _͘_** ** _m_** ** _̕_** ** _e_** ** _͝_** ** _s_** ** _̀_** ** _as_** ** _̨_** ** _I_** ** _̷_** **_w_** ** _a_** ** _́_** ** _nt."_**

_Throughout the maniacal laughter, Nightmare struck._

_Dream heard himself screaming again._

* * *

Blueberry heaved a sigh of mixed emotions as he set the flower down in disappointment and sorrow. Funny how they had been colorful rainbows not even a day ago; they had become nothing but frail pieces of char shaped like flowers. Not a single one of them hadn't crumbled in his gentle hold. He felt lonely all of a sudden.

He refused to leave Dream's side while the rest continued to converse, chanting ideas and warnings. Everything was calm, and the small rain certainly helped once it was grown used to. Blueberry himself felt sleepy, but he didn't know if to let peacefulness take over him. He felt like it was a bad idea, but the thought of getting some rest was enticing.

Quiet whimpers caught his attention, and the small skeleton glanced at the other one with a frown. Dream was faintly shivering, his eyes clenched shut. Tears refused to fall, and Blueberry's first thought was to wake him up and make sure he was alright; he remembered himself doing that at random times and worrying Papyrus to death. He quickly dismissed that idea, though. He felt like he really shouldn't, and out of worry, he called out for his brother nearby instead.

Papyrus was quick to respond, especially after noticing the look of disquiet on the blue eyes. The other two looked on; it wasn't good news to see Blueberry that concerned. "SHOULD WE DO SOMETHING? I THINK HE'S HAVING A NIGHTMARE."

"can he even?" Papyrus softly asked with truthful curiosity, observing the clear distress on the sleeping skeleton. His breathing was hitched, his face half-buried in his arms as he hugged himself tighter. The tall skeleton hummed pensively, "well, considering what he's been through, it wouldn't surprise me if he really was having one. everyone has nightmares every once in a while, i'm sure he'll be fine."

He gave his brother a reassuring, patient smile, deciding to sit beside him in case something bad happened. Neither of the two skeletons were sure about what would happen; nightmares could scar people, especially those with anxiety holding them back. Blueberry had a very bad feeling about it all.

* * *

_Again, again, again and again, he was thrown against invisible walls, against the floor, the merciless bashing not ending until several cracks appeared on his skull. He didn't have the strength to get up. He didn't have the will to do so. He didn't want more pain, but he knew he couldn't do anything to stop the torture. He was trapped in an endless loop of agony._

_Nightmare had already killed him more than five times. None of those deaths had been quick, and he was far from done._

_Dream could only wait for it to end, only for the cycle to restart. He_ truly _wanted it to end; there were too many broken bones, and the pain was unbearable. Yet, despite standing in front of him, Nightmare didn't finish him off. He seemed to prefer watching his pitiful struggle to breathe through broken ribs, his failed attempts to look at him; he enjoyed contemplating his handiwork._

_Dream still managed to find his voice, though he regretted speaking. It was the first time he had been given enough time to use his voice for anything other than screaming._

_"W... Why..."_

_His dying whispers earned him an almost content grin from the other skeleton, padding around him so that he was in his blurred field of view. The maimed skeleton flinched weakly when his battered torso was scooped up by a tentacle, raising his nearly limp body to eye level. He was powerless to fight back._

**_"Why? I'll gladly tell you why."_ **

_Dream was pulled closer, barely able to stay conscious. There wasn't a single part of him that didn't ache, and he was afraid it would keep going. It hurt him to realize that the monster that eagerly laughed as he brutally killed him over and over again was his innocent brother who wouldn't hurt a fly. He wanted him back..._

**_"For one, take half of this as payback for what you did to me."_ **

_"I... I d-didn't-"_

**_"S_ ** **_̡_ ** **_eco_ ** **_̵_ ** **_ndl_ ** **_͏_ ** **_y,"_ ** _The grip on his cracked ribcage tightened just about enough to force Dream to keep quiet if he didn't want to lose the last remaining ribs he had left, causing him to wheeze weakly. **"I despise you."**_

 _The ghastly whirring of the two blasters that spawned by his side told Dream the end was nearing. One part of him wanted it to happen, to get rid of the pain, but at the same time he didn't want to die because he would die again, and again, and_ again _; each death was more brutal and painful than the last._

**_"And lastly..."_ **

_Dream clenched his eyes shut as he heard the hissing of the beams that would soon take him away. He was in so much pain. He just hoped Nightmare wouldn't keep going for slow, painful deaths after that, but he was certain it wouldn't stop there._

**_"I_ ** **_͠_ ** **_t'_ ** **_̴_ ** **_s_ ** **_̢_ ** **_f_ ** **_̶_ ** **_ù_ ** **_n."_ **

_The excruciating pain of being burned alive only lasted for a small window of time, but those two seconds at max were eternal for the caped skeleton until numbness took over him once more, and he welcomed the relief. Despite not knowing what he was doing, numbed, he still braced for the impact against the floor, but wouldn't be able to take any more pain than that._

_It took him longer than usual to get up. He wasn't hurting anymore, but he was still tired, and confused, and terrified. He felt eerily cold, and heavy. Everything was urging him to get up, but he preferred to take shallow breaths in and out for as long as he could. He couldn't take it anymore._

_Yet…_

_It was too calm. It couldn't be right. Then again, Dream found time to enjoy that moment of peace. Perhaps Nightmare had finally given up._

_He blinked once, slowly._

_Again, a few breaths in._

_Again. Something in the darkness shifted, and it only took him a second to recognize the silhouette standing right in front of him._

_Feeling panic strike at full force, Dream pushed himself away, rolling onto his back in a failed attempt to stand up and make a run for it even if he knew there was nowhere to go. Mostly a mistake by his part, because his brother found a chance to pin him down; Dream wheezed at the sudden pressure against his ribs._

**_"Sorry for not giving you the advantage of freedom. We'd be better off if you learnt to stay put."_ **

Dream didn't dare to move.

 **_"You know, I've been wondering how many bones I would be able to break until you can't even scream anymore. Let_ ** **_͏_ ** **_'s_ ** **_̧_ ** **_f_ ** **_̴_ ** **_in_ ** **_̛_ ** **_d_ ** **_̡_ ** **_o_ ** **_ų_ ** **_t._ ** **_̨_ ** **_.._ ** **_͠_ ** **_"_ **

_The smaller skeleton froze, flinching when an appendage of melting darkness wrapped around his ulna, slightly holding his arm up. His breathing hitched in anticipation, and only his eyes could deliver the message he was desperate to shriek out._

Have mercy.

_"N-no… please… p-please don't…"_

_He saw a devilish grin for a split second, and he knew the worst part was still far, far away. Before he had time to react, the ulna was torn clean off and dusted as Nightmare yanked, and a scream of utter agony rang throughout the empty space. The melting skeleton grinned; it was music to his ears._

**_"That's one."_ **

_He let the limp arm drop as Dream gasped for breath, tears streaming down his face. Nightmare took hold of the other ulna, and his brother was immediately begging him to stop through tears. His pitiful pleas went unnoticed as the other exposed bone was ripped out of his arm, cueing more screams._

_Nightmare slowly pushed down, feeling the frail ribs painfully bend under his foot._

**_"Two... I feel like we still have a long time to go."_ **

* * *

_"Stop... please... I c-can't..."_

_Dark, jagged bones emerging from the ground had pierced through Dream's arm and leg, holding an unbearable ache that, combined with exhaustion, kept him from getting up._

_After quite literally tearing him apart, Nightmare forced him to re-experience the destruction of his beloved world. Over, and over. Forced to watch people screaming as they were mercilessly killed, forced to watch everything wither, forced to watch as his–_ their mother _was cut down like the mere, lifeless tree it had been turned into._

_Dream had snapped after the fourth time, escaping before his brother could seize him and running through the chaotic world until the barrage of protruding bones sent after him finally caught him. He feared he would have to endure yet another slow death. Nightmare didn't seem pleased with his outburst of courage._

**_"Oh, but we've just begun."_ ** _the melting skeleton chuckled, tossing the dead bodies of those he loathed aside like garbage. He let the sharp bones restraining his brother disappear, and despite the pain, terror still brought Dream to try and escape. He stumbled on his damaged leg, and wasn't able to get up when a tentacle coiled around his wrist and lifted him up._

 _His_ damaged _wrist, to be precise, and Dream clenched his eyes shut. He didn't open them, even after the harsh pain mellowed. He didn't want to see the bloodshed in front of him._

 **_"Aww, why wouldn't you want to look at your precious home? I thought you were the one who liked pretty sights. Not going to let_ ** **me decide what's beautiful and what's not this time? All of your worthless'friends' are right there. Look at them. _"_**

 _Dream refused to open his eyes. What was in front of him,_ all around him _, wasn't beautiful. His brother, his_ real _brother, would have never thought such thing was beautiful. Where was his brother? Why wasn't his brother with him…? What had he done wrong…?!_

 ** _"I said, l_** ** _̡_** ** _o_** ** _̕_** ** _ok_** ** _̢_** **_̨_** ** _at_** ** _̕_** ** _t_** ** _͏_** ** _h_** ** _͜_** ** _em._** ** _̧_** ** _"_**

_The grip on his aching wrist grew taut, causing him to yelp but not forcing him to look up; if anything, he just shut his eyes tighter and looked away, teeth clenched as he let trembling breaths in and out. The glare of disdain Nightmare gave him could have made him comply, but Dream was unaware._

**_"Always making things difficult, huh? Ver_** ** _͜_** ** _y_** ** _̛_** **_̴_** ** _we_** ** _͠_** ** _l_** ** _̕_** ** _l t_** ** _͝_** ** _he_** ** _͞_** ** _n._** ** _̧_** ** _"_**

_The melting appendage let go of his arm, just as the other three pierced through his torso._

_A shocked scream was cut short, replaced by gagging and the sickening sound of crackling bones. His eyes were wide open, though everything was a giant blob in his blurred vision. Blood dripped down his clothing onto the cold ground where he was lifelessly dropped, still trying in vain to breathe. The pain and horror were insufferable..._

**_"Sometimes, you're just asking for pain."_ **

_Something pierced his skull, and he was back in the middle of nothing until he hit the floor for the millionth time already. Back like nothing had ever happened. Nothing remained, except for the sickening memories. Dream hastily stood up, but he was given no time to escape._

_The cycle continued._

_Pierced, maimed, mutilated, crushed, strangled, burned alive, he had been killed in every way possible. The most painful deaths would keep repeating until Nightmare decided it had been enough, and then he would go back to quick but agonizing ways to end his brother's life or force him to watch as he killed those he loved._

_He had finally stopped for a few minutes after the last reset. Dream was broken at that point, kneeling, hands on the nonexistent ground, sniveling in despair. Nightmare found it amusing to watch him break down. He had fully given up._

**_"You've had enough too, haven't you?"_ **

_No answer. Nightmare didn't show himself, but it didn't entirely matter as Dream was staring at the floor with closed eyes. Tears fell between his trembling hands._

**_"I think you won't let those fools near you again. Now, there's always time for some mercy, mh?"_ **

_And everything went quiet. Terrifyingly quiet, but he couldn't afford to care. He just wanted it to end. He didn't want to suffer any more._

_And when the silence became unbearable, Dream finally looked up, slowly. He saw a blur rush past him, stopping by his side, but that wasn't the biggest of his concerns; because along with that shadow came a horrid pain as something sharp pierced through his chest, just barely missing his spine._

**_"Of course, you and I see mercy differently."_ **

_The melting appendage retracted from his body, harshly; he tried to hold himself up, but his arms gave up and he collapsed. He was shaking, bleeding. Nightmare had purposefully missed his spine so that he would die slowly instead of immediately. It was the last time he killed him. He wanted to enjoy it._

_Dream could hardly breathe, and it hurt given that panic was making him hyperventilate. He coughed up blood, and he couldn't tell if his vision was blurred or if he had closed his eyes. Everything was too dark... too dark..._

_Yet, up ahead, far away enough to look like a blur, was a figure in black and white._

_For some reason, Dream couldn't stop focusing on it even when his eyes began to close._

_He recognized those purple eyes..._

_"Don't forget who I used to be."_


	8. Where Answers Reside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He pulled himself away towards his original destination, closing his eyes shamefully as he whirled around and walked away. Something was urging him not to. Not yet. Too soon; too wrong. He wanted to, and he didn't want to. He could... and he couldn't.
> 
> But even so, it was... a nice thought...
> 
> To be free...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be longer but I'm drowning in homework. Oh well, something's something. :D
> 
> ALSO. I literally forget to mention it every single time somehow, but we have fanart! ^-^ My cousin and a DeviantART friend have made more than a few drawings for these angsty stories, so check them out if you'd like:  
> https://beigmaddi.deviantart.com/  
> https://pikokawaiiko.deviantart.com/

"It's getting out of hand," Sci sighed, arms crossed as he glanced over at Dream with little hope of seeing anything different. He was still completely motionless beside a hill. He hadn't moved from there in a while, much like he had been for the past three days or so.

No matter how much time passed, the memory was still fresh and concern was always there, snapping any signs of peace away.

What had been strangely but charmingly calm had shattered into a million pieces in an instant; Blueberry couldn't do anything about losing his nerves and panicking when the sight of an uncomfortable sleep escalated into something saddening to see, despite his attempts not to; they would have never thought that nightmare Dream was going through would have had such a terrible aftereffect on him. Blueberry regretted not having chosen the idea of trying to wake him up while he still could.

In just a moment, right when Blueberry was at the edge of falling asleep himself, Dream began crying, screaming, clawing at his skull, hyperventilating, shouting  _no_  over and over again like he was being murdered. In a matter of seconds, everyone was panicking in nearly the same way, shaken by the sudden outburst of terror. In a fit of dread, the blue skeleton wanted to hug him, shake him out of that horrid sleep, but even if it deeply hurt him, Sci urged him not to.

It didn't take him long to realize that what Dream was going through wasn't a common nightmare, but a night terror; an apparently  _bad_  one, too. Despite everyone's dismay, he told them that they couldn't and shouldn't do anything about it, and could only wait until it ended. It was a bad choice to wake someone from a night terror, especially someone with anxiety, as it would make it worse or cause trauma upon awakening.

They did stay by his side, uttering empty words in a failed attempt to somehow calm him down, unknowing if Dream could somehow hear them or even know or remember they were there. It was painful to see him like that; whatever he was seeing had to be horrible beyond words.

And few minutes before he finally opened his eyes after a torturous wait, he seemed to have gradually calmed down, even though he was still shivering and silently crying through ragged breathing until he fully snapped out of it. He slowly woke up with a small wince and several blinks, before snapping back to reality.

He stared at nothing for a moment that seemed eternal, as though he was in unadulterated disbelief. Despite the relief everyone felt after seeing him awake, the minuscule size of his pupils and his expression of pure horror told the group that something was fairly off before they could react, especially when Dream finally noticed their presence and stumbled back when Blueberry softly called out for him as though the small skeleton was some sort of demon belonging to hellish places such as Underworld.

Hobbling, he stood up and backed away from the group, looking all around him in utter dread. Sci tried to lighten the mood by confirming that people tended to freak out after a night terror and that Dream’s reaction was normal, but nothing happened as he expected. He already knew everything had derailed even more when a mere step forth caused Dream to scoot away from them in terror, scrambling into the cave. He couldn’t focus on reality.

They thought that giving him some space would help. It  _was_ a nice thought while it lasted.

Dream began to act extremely distant straight afterwards, never letting anybody stand more than five feet from him without giving him a heart attack. He was constantly terrified, looking at everything with wary eyes and never making visual contact with anybody. He would mutter incoherent things every once in a while, or just spend hours cowering in fear. He would hallucinate. He would space out. It was dismaying, and the thought of not being able to do anything about it was disheartening.

Despite it feeling like too long, Sci suggested waiting for at least a few days without getting too close to him, but that still didn't work on the slightest and he felt like everything they could still hold on to was going down the drain; everyone else was out of ideas, and he simply didn't know what else to do. Perhaps they had messed up big time. Perhaps they hadn't. But they had no way of knowing. Not thus far.

And their last resort was to just sit in a circle and try to bring each other's ideas out, but few useful thoughts came out from them as they pondered.

 _"We have to do something... We cannot afford to lose him any further than this. It's clear that waiting will not do."_  Core shakily commented, a hand running up and down their puffy sleeve in anxiety and thought.  _"Perhaps… we should go to Dreamtale again and figure out if those people have any way to deal with something like this."_ They looked at the other two skeletons, _"And I mean we should_ all _go."_

Papyrus seemed rather taken aback, eyes slightly widening. "you mean leaving him alone?" he said, slowly, giving Core time to think about what they were suggesting. They seemed all too confident on themselves, and didn't falter.

 _"You said Nightmare would only come back if we helped him."_  Core reminded him, stern tone giving away their seriousness for the situation.  _"We haven’t done anything and have not heard of him yet, so we can confirm this. Now, I doubt he can see us if we travel throughout the multiverse, thus has no way of knowing what we're doing at all times. Besides, we are not looking for direct help. I know it seems dangerous, but it's for the best. I think Dream needs some time alone, either way."_

"BUT..." Blueberry muttered, looking down as he fidgeted with the folds on his bandana. "I'M... STILL REALLY WORRIED... ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN WHILE WE'RE GONE."

"If you come think of it, it may be better this way." Sci reassured, though he wasn't sure himself. "If he's alone, Dream could gradually get better since he dislikes company for now. Really, even if we don't want to, we're making it worse. Besides... I, uh, don't want to be  _that_  guy, but it's not like we can stop Nightmare if he comes back while we're here, so..."

Nobody could deny the truth; it was probably better that way. They could just hold on to the fact that Dream would not die… but dying and suffering were different things.

 ** _“ah, why are you guys so stupid…?”_** 82 muttered, narrowing his eyes as the group left through a door he couldn’t properly see from his position. Truthfully, he didn’t understand their intentions. Had they not realized it was Nightmare who had traumatized Dream like that? They had ignored the second warning; they were going down the wrong path.

 ** _“tch, let them be. they’ll make the king happy by being this stubborn. and if he’s happy, we won’t get annihilated for no reason. sound good or no?”_** 40 chimed beside him, getting no response other than being ignored.

 ** _“just go be annoying somewhere else.”_** the other specter sighed as he stood up, making sure the others were fully out of sight just in case he was spotted. **_“we’re done here for now.”_**

 ** _“so what are you going to do?”_** 40 asked with a head tilt, standing up as well. **_“what are you going to tell our lovely boss? that this bunch of empty-headed buffoons left to heck-knows-where? that’s not the kind of information he wants you know. he wants ‘em all here.”_**

 ** _“but he would like to know that they’re still at it.”_** 82 sighed again; why was he so upset about it? He should be laughing. He should be cheering. Yet, he was disappointed. Was it because he thought those hot-headed friends of Dream’s were so maddeningly stubborn? He had so many mixed thoughts about it, it was infuriating.

* * *

 He was alone.

He was finally alone.

Just he, himself, and him. It was what he wanted.

And yet, he was still afraid. Of what, he didn't have a precise answer. He just knew he was afraid. Terrified. Horrified. He felt like there were a million eyes watching him, waiting to strike once he let his guard down for just a millisecond. He couldn't stay calm even if there was nobody with him. He appreciated the loneliness he had been finally gifted, he missed it, but at that point, it was useless if he couldn't enjoy it.

He couldn't stop seeing shadows all around him, product of his scrambled mind. They were gone when he looked towards their general direction. He was hallucinating. Or perhaps he was dreaming again. He didn't know if he would choose real life over his damaged imagination, or his damaged imagination over real life; they were both terrible. He had been turned into the main target again. He wasn't safe.

He wasn't. And he knew it.

He couldn't enjoy the silence because his so-called friends had forever disrupted his peace.

He wanted them to stop helping him. Why did they have to be so stubborn?! If it wasn't for them, he wouldn't be in that situation. His mind wouldn't be as scrambled. He wouldn't be as traumatized. Nightmare would have left him alone and found somebody else to torment. But no, they had to insist, they had to steer past his wellbeing to focus on their own without a care for the consequences of their actions.

They didn't care. He knew that, too. They were as selfish as everyone else. Nightmare was right for once. He had always been. Dream had always refused to listen to him when he said that  _they_  didn't matter, only their power. It was true. He had been so foolish not to ever believe it before.

No true friend would leave the other to suffer if they truly cared.

What were friends for, anyway?

Dream knew he didn't have any. He knew he didn't need any.

And he knew that constantly hallucinating figures all around him was driving him crazy. He didn't want to stay there. It was cold and something felt off, even if he knew it was all in his mind. He didn't feel safe anymore there. He felt exposed to everything. He didn't want those meddlers to come back and find him where he would always be and swarm him with their useless help.

He looked up, scanning the area. Everything was grey. A gentle grey. It felt like everything was a cloudy sky. That color… it made him feel better, but at the same time it made him feel worse. It was a calm color, but one that gave off tension and false anticipation. Still much better than black. Black meant pain. Black meant torment. Black meant suffering and anguish.

He took his time to stand up, feeling faint goosebumps as he did so. His broken femur didn't ache as much as it normally would; for some reason, constant walking eased the lingering pain. Perhaps he could still heal it. It would definitely be better than not trying; he knew he would need better mobility. He could hardly move away from danger.

He observed what was ahead of him. He had always kept a keen eye on what was in the distance; the seemingly far distance. Despite the monotony of color he could see, he could still distinguish the figure of something, or many things, moving about towards the sky. They looked like numbers? Letters? Shapes? He didn't know. He was genuinely curious. It was something different, but not in a harmful way.

That seemed to be located far away enough, so it couldn't be considered a bad choice to walk all the way over there. He had to walk in a straight line; he would know how to return just in case, and he wouldn’t be in plain sight. Then again, being lost in the middle of an almost endless timeline wasn't that bad. He would be completely alone because no one would be able to locate him.

He still didn't want to risk it.

He strolled towards the strange phenomenon up ahead, trying to stay calm. He kept flinching on his way through; he couldn't stop seeing nonexistent things creeping up on him, only to see that there was nothing but scorched grass around him. It would definitely be better for him if he found something else to focus on, and the sight in front of him was surely enough to distract him.

He stopped his eased gait in inner awe. It looked like the end of the world.

Literally. The end of _that_ world.

In front of him was a massive canyon, bottomless, darker than the moonless night sky, that seemed to go in a circle around the timeline; it was all that had been destroyed during Error's rampage, where the disappearance of the Doodle Sphere had ceased after the destroyer’s defeat. Series of broken numbers, like code, floated out of the abyss into the sky, and some patches of grass near the border were glitching in and out of existence.

It just looked broken.

Somehow, despite eerie, it was an enchanting sight. Dream looked up; the chains of broken code had no beginning and no end, and curious eyes followed their ascending path. He looked intently at the sky; he couldn't tell if clouds had made their way in or if it was clear or if it was pink for all he cared. It all looked the same. The whole world was cloudy. Monotonous. Just like he was.

He wished the rain hadn't stopped. He wanted it back. It was the last thing he needed; loneliness, peace, and that beloved drizzle that took his pain away. He would be fine; he knew that would be enough to make him forget everything that was holding him back. It was a pity he didn't have any control over the weather... It truly would have been perfect.

His eyes narrowed with sadness, and he sighed emptily as his gaze moved down. He was probably asking for too much. Somebody like him didn't deserve that many things–

One droplet.

He sheepishly startled, looking back up as a single drop of water rolled down his skull.

Two. Three. Four.

...well, that was convenient.

Dream stared at the sky in innocent disbelief as soft water began to rain down, awed. Not too much, not too little; not too cold. Just like it had been before. He was deeply pondering all of a sudden; it hadn't been the first time the weather had, somehow, helped him feel better – he still remembered that one time he was freezing during the breeze, and it suddenly stopped. It was... strange. In a good way.

It was funny to think about it. That the weather, something inanimate, not physical, could help him more than a bunch of monsters that dared to call themselves his friends. How pitiful; he wanted to laugh at that ridiculous thought, but he knew it was only a coincidence. He was still sane, holding his mind together by a thin thread; he wasn't about to start talking to the water that fell from the sky.

Much like back there, a few small hillocks and painted rocks – how cheesy, he thought – stood near the cliff, welcoming him to get some rest. One thing was clear, though; no more sleeping. _Ever_. He could live with that. Being helped or not, Nightmare never turned the chance to torment someone's mind down, much less when his vulnerable brother so happened to be the victim. It was like standing in the middle of a road waiting to get run over; he wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.

He turned towards the cluster of rocks, but something took hold of his attention before he could move. Strong hold of it.

And it was the abyss itself. Dream wasn't able to realize how intently he was side-glancing at it. For some reason, he wondered what was down there. For some reason… he wondered what would happen if he fell down there. It screamed freedom; something was keeping his eyes on it.

He continued to stare.

Because, truthfully, what was the point of anything? He didn't want to live in a world where there was nothing but pain and death, where he would be hunted down until he broke, and he didn't want to spend the rest of his life fearing everything that came too close to him. The world would be better without him at that point; he had become a disturbance.

He fully glanced at it.

He wasn't sure. Perhaps it would be a painful fall. Perhaps he would never hit the ground. Perhaps he survived and ended up trapped in a dark void. Perhaps it just ended his misery. Who knew? There was only one way to figure out...

He felt something akin to a static shock, beaming regret.

He pulled himself away towards his original destination, closing his eyes shamefully as he whirled around and walked away. Something was urging him not to. Not yet. Too soon; too wrong. He wanted to, and he didn't want to. He could... and he couldn't.

But even so, it was... a nice thought...

To be free...

* * *

 Everything was as eerily silent as always, accompanied by a haunting atmosphere that beamed, not despair, but emptiness. The only sound to be heard was the erratic breeze waving the grass, and the voices of several people who didn't know what to do at that point. The sound of preoccupation.

"And you said it lasted for at least three days?" a white bunny-like creature, Shenshe, softly replied to Sci's explanation as to what had happened, wrinkling her nose as she tried to find an answer to the problem.

"Yeah," the scientist sighed. "Every day was the exact same. If anything, it kept getting worse."

"That nightmare must've traumatized him." Arel, one of the oldest of the remaining humans in the timeline yet not even standing at an old age, mused with closed eyes, resting his head on his palm in a deadpan manner. "He's not supposed to have those. Judging by what you said, it's caused him great psychological pain."

Clear concern could be heard, seen, felt among the small group.

One of Shenshe's ears twitched as she looked at the thoughtful human beside her. "You know, we should take them to the elder. He's known these two for a long time, especially Dream. He should have some clue about it."

"Ah, yeah..." Arel muttered, hopping off the rock he was sitting on. "Guess Grandfather would have something to say about it." He slowly turned around towards the small cluster of houses a few feet away, making a slight hand gesture. "Come."

"Don't blame him for being this gloomy. He hasn't gotten over what he has lost yet, despite how long it's been..." Shenshe softly told the group before trotting off with the human, the rest slowly following.

They were led through the small town at a gentle gait. All the people there seemed so... empty, no matter if they were children or adults. It was disheartening to see, especially with the thought of that silent place having once been a world full of friendship and cheerfulness. It was still losing itself. Just like the one meant to protect it.

They eventually reached a middle-sized cottage, of an ancient appearance, a little ahead of the town. Right behind it was a lake surrounded by rocky hills, and Blueberry in particular couldn't take his eyes off of it. Despite the eerie color of the sky, it still looked beautiful. A reassuring sight after passing through all those sadly curious glances.

Lots of people gave him odd, almost nostalgic looks, he realized.

"Wait a second," Arel softly announced, going inside first; the door creaked and squeaked when he opened it. It was so torn and worn off that it gave the impression of being about to fall over whenever anybody touched it.

“Abu is the eldest in the village.” the rabbit quietly commented, earning a few curious glances from the others. “He is currently the one who knows the most about the two brothers. After all, he used to be something akin to their teacher. Even if not entirely, he will know what to do in a way.”

Blueberry smiled at their statement in relief and curiosity. _“That is good to hear,”_ Core sighed.

A few seconds after, the old door creaked open again. Arel stood beside an elderly man of an arched back and trembling limbs, helped by a wooden cane and sporting a long, snow-white beard flowing down his chin.

“This is my grandfather, Abu.” the human announced, before turning to look at his elder. “Abu, these are the monsters, and human, who are taking care of Dream.”

“Ah,” Abu rasped, taking a careful step forward. “These are the gentle souls you spoke about, yes?” Both Arel and Shenshe nodded at his question, and the elderly man took a full look at the group of outsiders. “I figure you have a long story to tell. Come inside. We have much to speak about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should ask my cousin to draw a reference sheet for all the new characters we're getting. :P


	9. Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abu regarded them with a couple seconds of thoughtful silence before standing up with a hum. Arel handed him the cane as he walked towards the walls, staring intently at them. "Then that, child, is a very good question. Listen now, young ones, because this is crucial information."

The silence was greatly enjoyable, and yet, that was a greater disadvantage. He was falling asleep again; his eyes felt heavy and threatened to stay closed after each slow, tiring blink. He fought to keep himself awake, but that strength of will was nothing compared to how weary he was. He tried to concentrate on something, anything, be it the black grass or the rocks or the sky or the massive gap in front of him, but it was in vain. Not even the rain helped; if anything, it began to make it worse, but he didn't want it to stop.

Thinking eventually became something tedious as well; any thought he tried to focus on escaped his exhausted mind and let unwillingness replace it. His body, his mind, wanted nothing but to let him fall asleep, but he knew he couldn't. The cycle would repeat again. He was tired of his own screams and the sickening sounds of his bones breaking...

 _Could_ he take the risk...? Forced insomnia wasn't something he could handle as well as he thought he would... If he couldn't move, if he couldn't think clearly, then falling asleep was the only thing he could do, but he would be defenseless against his mind and he couldn't bring himself to listen to what his common sense wanted him to do.

The abyss was still there, though...

He found himself staring at it again. Directly. Why was he questioning it so much? What did he have to live for that prevented him from giving the crumbling world he was stuck in the mercy it deserved? It would all be destroyed regardless of any help he received; he couldn't be brought back, and he was fully aware of it. No more him meant no more Nightmare. He should take the chance while he could... but he wouldn't budge.

He tiredly looked away. He wished he could close his eyes for just five seconds and so relieve that nagging need to rest, but simply blinking gave him goosebumps in fear of accidentally falling asleep. He couldn't control his fear. It made him feel so useless.

That was what he was. Useless. _Useless_.

He looked back at the endless canyon with a defeated sigh before using all his strength to stand up and lumber away from it. He wasn't comfortable with questioning his mind so vividly; those thoughts hadn't crossed his mind back there, and if he wasn't ready to end himself, he had no business staying there any longer. He wanted his mind to stay blank until he got his choices together.

He gave the chasm one last glance.

_Someday..._

He slowly turned around; his legs felt slightly numb, but he mustered the will to go back nevertheless. The rain still hadn't stopped, and he was perfectly fine with that. After a while, it began to feel cold, but he couldn't care about it. He wanted to think he was fine the way he was.

When he looked up after turning around the boulder, he wasn't met with the sight of the extensive, hilly plains of dark grass, but the sight of the extensive, hilly plains of dark grass _and_ three black skeletons standing in the middle in a conversation.

Dream froze.

The trio of dark Papyruses didn't notice him until a few seconds passed by; a few seconds that he could have used to hide before he was spotted, but a strong wave of terror took over him and kept him rooted to the ground.

One by one, all three turned around to face him with questioning glares.

 ** _"oh... seems as if not everyone left."_** 1 grinned, the other two following his smirk soon after; 3 laughed quietly, but in the only crazed manner he was capable of. **_"come here, little buddy... someone would like to talk to you."_**

Fight or flight instincts immediately shot at the latter option.

* * *

It was a nice place. Warm and reassuring, unlike the cold and disheartening exterior looming on the other side of the worn down door. It wasn't too spacious, but enough not to be perceived as an uncomfortable, cramped space. The walls were wooden and the floor was made out of polished rock; a circular table lay in the middle of the single room, lightened by a candle and adorned by a couple of old books.

There wasn't much else to see aside from a few ancient drawings on the walls, reminiscent of cave paintings, and loose curtains, as well as a dim ceiling lamp that kept the place illuminated; the small windows were of little use as sunlight was never strong enough to get rid of the greyish lighting outside.

"I believe you know more about the current situation than I do." Abu quietly said as he took his time to sit on a rocking chair, leaving his cane aside; his grandson placed it against a nearby wall. "Go ahead; I wish to know everything you know about our dearest child before we jump into explanations."

His eyes, a melted blue, showed heartfelt concern despite the ease of his trembling voice as he watched the group of monsters on the other side of the table. Blueberry and Core sat on the floor, expectantly, as Papyrus took his turn to speak.

"he keeps getting worse. no matter what we do, something always takes us back to step one. he doesn't trust us at all; he doesn't trust _anybody_ for that matter, or anything. and, of course... we have nightmare to worry about."

The elder nodded with closed eyes, thoughtful. "Has he done anything worrisome?" One of his eyes opened, "Being constantly hostile? Uttering not a single word? Hurting himself?"

"no, not any of those… _yet_ … but ever since that night terror he had, he's been hallucinating and rambling."

Abu stopped the gentle rocking of the chair, eyes partially hidden by snowy eyebrows narrowing in concerned thought. "You said, night terror? Those horrid visions, far worse than nightmares?"

Papyrus nodded slowly, "yes."

There was a quiet sigh from the elderly man as he leaned back into his seat, the chair creaking ever so slightly. "And you said the child began to hallucinate afterwards?" Another nod, and the elder blinked slowly as Arel and Shenshe glanced at him. "Ah, then there is no doubt about it. That was that foul demon's doing, too."

Glances of fear and preoccupation lit up the attentive looks of the listeners.

"Dream cannot have nightmares, nor can his thoughts be controlled. But given the fact that he is no longer himself, he is vulnerable to falling under his brother's tricks. Mh... Arel mentioned a threat. Mind explaining it further?"

Papyrus snapped from his worried trance. "ah, yes. nightmare told us that if we tried to help dream in any way, he would hurt him until we stopped. so… guess he was aware of the last time we tried to…"

"Do not blame yourself, child." Abu gently said. "It is amongst the toughest of challenges not to help those you care about. However," His tone sharpened, and he soon had everyone's full attention. "As distressing as it may be, do everything you can to heed that warning he gave you."

"BUT..." Blueberry muttered, the mere _idea_ of not helping someone who was in serious need of it feeling like a hundred knives of fire.

"Nightmare is a liar and a trickster, but his threats are _no_ subject to ignore or take lightly. Especially not when Dream is involved." Abu continued. "I know it seems unthinkable, but you have to lighten your attempts to help, as you will only make matters far worse than they already are. And whilst Nightmare cannot kill his brother as of yet… as merciless as he is, I fret to think what he may do to the little one if we don't come across a better solution."

Blueberry, Papyrus, Sci and Core all lowered their heads, almost in shame; the blue skeleton felt an inner wave of panic run all over him. If that night terror had been caused by Nightmare, then he somehow knew what was happening there: that meant he could somehow figure out where they were, and what they were doing – and Dream was alone. He suddenly wanted to rush back to the Doodle Sphere; he couldn't hide his disquiet.

 _"That is what I don't quite understand…"_ Core mused, and Abu offered them a small nod to ask ahead. _"Why is it that Nightmare is unable to kill his brother? And why does he go after_ him _, when it's us that are disrupting… whatever it is he's planning?"_

"I thought Arel had explained this, last time you were here?" the old man enquired, a small snowy frown on his face.

"It was a very superficial explanation, Grandfather." the younger human replied, pushing himself off the wall he had been leaning against throughout the conversation. "They didn't have much time, and it had to be a quick, general recap of our situation."

Abu regarded them with a couple seconds of thoughtful silence before standing up with a hum. Arel handed him the cane as he walked towards the walls, staring intently at them. "Then that, child, is a very good question. Listen now, young ones, because this is crucial information."

They all turned to face him with eyes of sparkling curiosity, and concern. "With the information I have about our ongoing problem, I can safely say that not all of Dream's emotions have been taken; otherwise, Nightmare would have been able to kill him by now. No, the vile demon only took what he wanted: the power of the last apple. The last remaining piece of happiness' embodiment."

Abu averted his gaze from the wall, his figure hiding the painting on it, as he gazed at the group. Core had lightly perked up, as so did Blueberry; perhaps not everything was lost, after all.

"See, all family members in the multiverse, if possible, are linked by blood, as you may know. But since Dream and Nightmare were not naturally corporeal, they are linked by their emotions instead; and this is the strongest bond in the entirety of our universe, for one will die without the other. This is something delicate, however; this bond can be broken, but the requirements are outrageous. In part, it might be why Nightmare chose to find himself an 'excuse' to bring more harm upon his brother."

"And… if that bond is ever broken?" Sci asked quietly.

"Then Nightmare will not hesitate to kill Dream, and the world, the multiverse as we know it, will be shrouded in perpetual darkness for the rest of our lives. Nobody will be able to be happy again, and every existing universe will be filled with fear and violence."

Core gasped silently, hands over their mouth; the skeletons' expressions immediately shifted from attentive and somewhat worried to horrified in the span of a second.

Abu slowly glanced at the human. "Child… don't feel obligated to answer this question if you find it to be a sensitive subject for you, but back in that world where all rescued people are sent to… What do they behave like, after that demon took over it?"

Core sighed their unease away, and looked at the elderly man. _"They are mostly aggressive, not tolerating each other at all. Some have gone completely insane, and others don't seem to know what to do with their existence anymore."_

They looked back down, arguing with their mind, believing it had been their fault and at the same time knowing there was nothing they could have done to prevent all those innocent bystanders, who had gone through enough already, to lose their minds and live in hatred and despair.

Abu hummed. "And now tell me... Does Dream behave the same way?"

Everyone looked up at him in realization. _"...not at all, no."_ Core mused.

Abu seemed to smile, ever so slightly. "People who have lost the entirety of their emotions tend to lash out at the world, and fear themselves. Dream is not going through this, and this bond I spoke about is the reason for it. It has not been broken, and thus, that means his real self is still in there, fighting to break through that despair that is slowly taking him."

Their eyes told all the words they couldn't say, sparkled with the relief they couldn't show through awed expressions. "So... We can still do something?" Sci stressed with growing hopes, and those around him were as eager to hear the answer as he was.

"Indeed. But, as to how... I'm afraid I don't have much to say."

His confession didn't throw their relief away.

* * *

**_"get back here, you little rat!"_ **

He ran. He ran without caring where he was going, without caring about the pain imploding in his femur as he zigzagged past any hillock in his path in a desperate attempt to somehow lose the trio of very angry skeletons hot on his heels. Why did the rain stop?

He didn't know how or why he had done that. How or why that grey aura had appeared around him when he found himself cornered and with three swords pointed at him, threatening him not to move. It had been a reflex action that he didn't have time to calculate; when one of the specters tried to seize him, his arm swiped and a string of smoke burned through 1's own arm, leaving a visible scar.

Dream made a run for it during their distraction with little time to question what had happened. That fog dissipated a few seconds later, and he still wondered why it had appeared through his panic. He thought the only thing that could harm creatures made of darkness was light and flowing positivity…?

He made a sharp turn past one last hill around the general place he and the others chose to stay in, near the patch of colorful doors, and came to a full stop right afterwards.

The dark, melting figure a few feet ahead of him slowly turned around after hearing the quiet commotion; sharp chills stung Dream as a blue eye faced his general direction, frowning. The three specters stopped behind Dream at the sight of their superior, expectantly taking a step back. The caped skeleton, by the other hand, couldn't move an inch.

 ** _"Heh... what a coincidence."_** Nightmare mused contently. ** _"I thought_ you _had left too... All the better. You're not the one I was waiting for, but I believe we need to have a little talk nevertheless."_**

Dream still couldn't move, not even when Nightmare fully turned to look at him. 1 stepped forth, breathing heavily and recovering from his enraged chase, but the smaller skeleton beside him couldn't acknowledge his presence with his eyes fixated on the much more menacing monster ahead.

**_"my lord... he attacked us."_ **

The white smirk immediately shaped into a frown, beaming with disbelief and confusion. **_"What?"_**

1 showed the white bruise on his upper arm as he spoke, an irritated expression on his fanged face. **_"he is capable of harming us with something other than light. a strange fog around him that he can manipulate."_**

As he spoke, Dream backed up with trembling steps until he was forced to stop when his back briefly met the blade of 2's sword pointed at him. **_"you're not leaving just yet,"_** he lowly hissed.

**_"Looks like you have more explaining to do than I thought."_ **

Dream jolted along with his inner panic when Nightmare advanced towards him, and a feeling of utter dread numbed him. There was a hill on his left, sword-wielding skeletons to his right and behind him, and a heartless demon approaching him. _And nobody to help him the one time he truly needed it._ There was no getting out of that one.

_He should have jumped–_

His thoughts of regret were cut short when a black hand hoisted him by the collar, lifting him to eye level; Dream whimpered in shock and his hands desperately held the melting arm, looking away with trembling, shut eyes.

 ** _"H͟ow͢ d̢id̶ you d̷o͘ ̵that?"_** Nightmare snarled sternly, not showing any kind of grin as he glared at the terrified skeleton with spite.

"I... I-I d-d-don't k-know..." Dream sobbed, horror-stricken, feeling the prickling of tears that wouldn't fall. He wished Nightmare would just kill him right then and there, but it would be a long time until he could freely end his life and he knew it.

Nightmare's scowl mellowed into a small, almost content grin with a quiet chuckle. **_"What are you so afraid of? I'm not hurting you, am I?"_**

Dream gave him no answer. His mind was urging him to beg him to stop taunting him and get whatever he had planned over with, punish him for defending himself with what little he had, but he couldn't utter a single word as he shivered helplessly.

**_"Am̴ ̴I?"_ **

Dream flinched at the hostile, broken growl. "N-n-no..."

**_"Heh. And I'm not going to either, so there's no need to be afraid."_ **

"W... W-what do you w-want..." the terrified skeleton whimpered feebly, still trying not to let frightened tears fall.

 _ **"Nothing, really."**_ Dream's shaken breath hitched when he was pulled closer, and he shut his eyes tighter. _**"Just want to make myself clear for the last time and gather some answers. Your friends aren't making this entertaining, ignoring everything I do."**_

"T-then... T-t-then just k-kill them..."

Nightmare found himself taken aback, pupil ever so slightly contracted in confusion and bewilderment. For a second there, he questioned reality; that plead came in so unexpectedly, and he barely realized he had loosened his grip.

Dream, of all people, the pathetic weakling, the cheesy pacifist, just told him to _kill_ somebody.

He grinned. He didn't trust them anymore and all empathy was gone from his being. He was losing himself; Nightmare was one step closer to finally being able to kill him once and for all, and he relished that thought. _**"No can do. If I can't torment them as well, what would I do?"**_ The melting skeleton tilted his head in poisoned innocence. _ **"It's not fun if they don't suffer first."**_

"T-then why d-do you go after m-me...? I didn't... I..." Dream's fight against tears failed, and a single one rolled down his cheekbone. "I d-didn't d-do anything..."

Nightmare chuckled at his hopelessness. _**"Heh, partially because hearing you scream is really satisfying. But, all in all... it doesn't really matter who I choose as a target; the results will remain the same. I hurt the scientist, they help and move on. I help the blue bean, they help and move on... Nothing will change. However, since it's you we're talking about, you will serve as the lab rat until I've had enough."**_

Still shivering, Dream finally mustered the courage to look at his brother in the eye. "...and what's enough for you?" he snivelled, almost regretting asking such thing when something in that nonchalant expression shifted with hostility.

 _ **"Oh, trust me, I do have my limits. Keep taking their help, keep getting in my way..."**_ Dream was pulled closer again, and he weakly struggled when he realized that Nightmare was losing his patience. _**"And everything I've done so far will look like child's play. Does that sound clear enough?"**_

"Let him go."

The black skeleton startled at the sudden, sharp voice of certain swapped monster, and glancing towards its general direction revealed the four so-called heroes with an orange-eyed Gaster Blaster above them, its closed maw filled with light. The three specters unsheathed their swords, ready to fight.

 _"Now."_ Papyrus growled boldly, hand closed in a fist; the bright pupils of the dragon skull above him sparkled menacingly with his small motion, along with his own eye.

Despite the clear aggressiveness, Nightmare was unfazed by the tall skeleton's threats.

 _ **"Ah, what a violent world we live in."** _ he carelessly sighed, offering the distraught group a small yet devilish grin. _**"Everyone is always so quick to judge,"** _ He glanced at his terrified brother, _**"wouldn't you agree?"** _ before looking back at the others with a smothered laugh. _ **"No need to start a fight now. Believe me, if I wanted to hurt anybody, I would have by now."**_

Papyrus didn't drop his hostile façade, glowering at Nightmare with camouflaged fear.

Carelessly, the creature of darkness let go of his brother; and despite free, Dream was still too shaken to move away. Either way, though, that wouldn't have worked - after a moment, when the caped skeleton finally got a grip on reality, Nightmare stopped his attempt to skitter away by stamping on his arm. He didn't want him to run off just yet.

A pained yelp escaped from Dream as his radius and ulna threatened to be crushed, but no matter how much he struggled and tried to push the melting skeleton away, Nightmare wouldn't budge. Papyrus seemed seconds away from firing, eye glistening in dangerous orange light.

_**"Need I remind you... The little ball of sunshine is still at my mercy. Try pulling that pathetic light trick of yours, and it's possible that I might... 'accidentally' hurt him."** _

Papyrus gritted his teeth; he didn't know what to believe from Nightmare of all people. He was afraid attacking could make it worse, but what if it didn't? He wasn't able to let his guard down. At least, he couldn't until he felt a hand on his arm, and he lightly flinched before glancing towards the source of the reassuring touch.

Blueberry shook his head at him, silently.

 _Don't help him if it's not needed._ Surely Abu knew what he was talking about.

After a moment of thinking and rethinking, Papyrus finally sighed, shoulders drooping, and the skull above him dissipated into nothing. He wasn't comfortable, being defenseless like that, but he was still at the ready if something went wrong. The three darker versions of him sheathed their swords once the blaster was fully out of sight, slightly managing to ease him.

_**"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"** _

"Why are you here." Papyrus growled, threateningly, scowling at the grinning skeleton ahead.

 _ **"Just want to have a small talk."**_ Nightmare shrugged. _ **"Or what? Is that not allowed?"**_

"JUST TELL US WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT LET DREAM GO." Blueberry begged, taking a small step forth under an attentive glance from his brother. Papyrus felt like Abu should have told him about not pulling the pacifist card on Nightmare; it would never work on him, and might end up being too dangerous.

 _ **"But how about no?"** _ Nightmare retorted, imitating the smaller skeleton's worried tone. Dream was still trying to get away without success; his darker sibling found it hilarious, how he thought he stood a chance. _**"This concerns him as well, so he'd better listen."**_

Narrowed glowers were shot at him, but were ignored.

_**"Let's all be honest... What part of 'don't help him or I'll hurt him' did you not understand? You're all so hotheaded, it's not even funny at this point. Not that I'm complaining, of course. It's your stupidity that hurts the little guy. Seriously, though... what is so hard to understand?"** _

Sci was at the edge of saying that his intentions had been unmasked back in Dreamtale and that they knew what to do, but he stopped himself before uttering a single word. It would be stupid to tell Nightmare such a thing; they could and would lose what possibly was their second chance.

"IS THAT REALLY A QUESTION?"

Blueberry broke the silence, and astonished eyes gazed at him as his eyes narrowed with courage and empathy. "IF YOU EXPECT US TO IGNORE SOMEONE WHO NEEDS HELP, YOU... YOU'RE WRONG. AND IT'S YOU WHO'S NOT MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE. ALL OF THIS IS UNNECESSARY. YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED, RIGHT? THEN THAT'S SETTLED!"

Silence.

"...DOES HE REALLY MEAN NOTHING TO YOU? HE'S... HE'S YOUR BROTHER..."

More awed silence.

And a cold laugh.

 _**"I don't** _ **have** _**a brother."** _

Nightmare stepped aside, letting Dream scramble away as he clutched his arm in pain.

_**"I came here looking for whatever idiotic excuse you would offer and have a little laugh for the day, not to hear a naive simpleton ramble on about his stupid pacifism. If anything, I'm trying to help you. Whether you take that help or not, it's up to you. Remember one thing, though: this is the last time I play nice. Next time you try anything, I won't show any mercy."** _

Laughing darkly, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, as so did the three specters.


	10. Echoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At that point, he didn’t even care if he was going crazy or not. He looked at the sky with almost hopeful eyes, still drenched in disbelief, and wiped the last of his tears away as he blinked.

_It was dark. It was all dark. Were those blood splatters and fleeing silhouettes all around him? He didn't know, and he didn't want to know. He was aware of the hunched figure in front of him, though, its back turned to him as it seemed to laugh... but he didn't hear that laughter, and only heard distant screams._

_The ominous shape rose upright, seemingly looking up into whatever sky was among the eternal blackness, and turned to look at him._

_Instead of black, he saw white. He saw a familiar face that he wished he didn't know, because that eyeless expression was beyond terrifying and haunting. Those many cracks, that black liquid oozing from hollow eyesockets, it made him want to scream in horror. But he was stationary, mute. He couldn't do anything but watch._

_A trembling hand, melting in tar, reached out for him as something invisible tried to take his brother away as the world spun and flashed, threatening to become a pure black mass every split second._

_He would never forget that face._

**_"H_** ** _̜̘̩͙͔_** ** _e_** ** _̴̼͎̼̥_** ** _l_** ** _̬̗ͅ_** ** _̳_** ** _̟̖_** ** _p_** ** _͎̬̰͜_** ** _͇_** ** _̮_** **_̺̲͢_** ** _m_** ** _̛̰͙̙̜_** ** _e_** ** _͕_** ** _._** ** _̥͙̭̯͉_** ** _._** ** _̢_** ** _._** ** _͔̜̝̱̱͕_** ** _!_** ** _̯̕_** ** _̳_** ** _̥̮̱_** ** _"_** ** _̞̺̻̗̜̹͈_**

* * *

 He woke up with a brief, startled scream, jolting upright.

He was met with silence, only disrupted by his heavy breathing and the gentle sound of raindrops plummeting. It was still raining peacefully, and the world was still that giant greyscale mass and not a dark void.

Dream regarded the environment around him for a puzzled moment before slumping against the hill with a prolonged sigh.

What had happened, again...? He remembered seeing Nightmare laughing at something he couldn't see or hear and silhouettes of what seemed to be panicking people... and then he saw someone else? Who was it? Had he really seen someone? He could still remember the scenery clearly, except for whoever had talked to him. It felt like a blur in his mind.

Perhaps he really was going crazy.

He crossed his arms over his knees, trying to remember what he had just seen while he could still hold on to that fading memory. He had seen someone else. He knew he had. But he couldn't remember anything about them, or what they said, or why their supposed existence was tugging at his heartstrings like it was someone important.

It probably didn't matter. He was still hallucinating. At that rate, he’d end up losing his sanity if he didn’t find a way to cope with his broken mind.

He glanced at where he had last seen the others; they had fallen asleep, too, and judging by their silence, they were at least having a better time at trying to get some rest than Dream did. Lucky them...

It had taken him a while to let them convince him to get some sleep after what happened. Their erratic 'support' and his own common sense finally let him change his mind, though he knew he wouldn't be able to help himself all that much. But given that he could barely _stand_ at that point, he knew he would have to give up sooner or later; and so he did, expecting subconscious pain until he drifted off.

Judging by the fact that everyone except for Core, having gone to their devastated timeline, had plunged into a peaceful slumber, he guessed he couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour. His eyes still felt heavy. He was still tired.

Tired of _everything._

He shakily stood up, and immediately wanted to sit back down. But he didn’t want to risk it again. What he had seen was too mild to have been Nightmare’s doing, but it could have been a warning for all he knew. An hour was enough. At least he could walk without feeling like he was going to fall into an instant sleep.

He need time to think. Somewhere else. There was only one thing that got his mind off of that mess of thoughts, one place that let him focus on one thing only. He needed to think everything through.

After taking a few steps, though, he stopped to side-glance at the blue skeleton with heartfelt curiosity. He wasn’t as peaceful as the other two were, from what he could tell. His eyes were clenched shut, and he was lightly shivering and mumbling unintelligible words. Something about Papyrus.

No matter how saddening he looked, Dream felt no reason to feel bad. Whatever it was he could be seeing couldn’t be worse than what he had been through.

_Been through because of him and the others._

He looked away from him with spite and walked away, decisive on his path. Blueberry in particular was caring too much about him. He was sure of it: the day Nightmare finally lost his patience would be because of him and his empathy. Dream wanted nothing to do with that – better safe than sorry.

He relished the feeling of walking in a nostalgic rain until he couldn’t continue any further; again facing the canyon, bewildered by those chains of code and the darkness below. It beamed despair, sadness, emptiness… Sometimes he felt like he should be there, then like he shouldn’t.

He still needed to think, even if he didn’t understand what was holding him back. He was a nuisance, a burden, he hated his own existence, he had nothing to live for, and he was in constant danger. Why was it so hard to end it?

He was a mess.

He was a coward.

And once again, he was staring into an abyss that was luring him, and repelling him at the same time. Welcoming him, and screaming at him to go away. Confusing him. Making him feel worthless. But he didn’t want to look away from it. It was… interesting. To think about what could happen.

He couldn’t predict what would happen if he took one more step forward. Perhaps that was what stopped him from doing so. Fear.

With a brief feeling of vertigo, he sat down at the edge. His eyes never looked away from the darkness. It was funny to think about it… He was terrified of the dark, yet he was willing to plummet into it and let it take him.

But at the same time he was not.

It made him angry.

…

It stopped raining.

* * *

 His eyes flashed open with a gasp, and he pushed himself upright with his head swirling in waves of confusion.

The colors around him weren’t gentle, but they still hurt his eyes and made him feel dizzy as they shot at him with puzzlement. No, he wasn’t in the anti-void, nor had he just witnessed his brother getting killed.

_He hadn’t, hadn’t he?_

He flinched as he looked to his left, only to feel comforting relief at seeing Papyrus submerged in a sleep much more peaceful than his had been. Good. It was always good not to see him worried. In a way, he preferred not to let him know he kept having those nightmares. He didn’t like to worry him… he got so anxious when he had to be the one to shake him out of it.

It was why he didn’t know how broken he really was. He wasn’t fine, but he was good at hiding it. Sometimes.

Blueberry sighed silently, blinking a few times and looking up into the sky. The rain was gone, and the endless swarm of clouds was darker than before. The atmosphere was really dark in general, silent. It made him feel rather uncomfortable, but then again, he couldn’t expect much from it. That place was broken, so he couldn’t precisely expect a rainbow to welcome him.

His expression fell into concern when he suddenly lost vision in his left eye for a second, and a gloved hand immediately covered it. He heard it, he felt it; his eyesocket glitching.

Papyrus didn’t know that either.

The younger one side-glanced at his brother, just in case he had woken him up. He didn’t, fortunately, and he exhaled briefly as he looked at the dark grass beneath him, patiently waiting until the left side of his face ceased trying to break itself. There were white dots in his field of vision… it was so annoying and worrisome. 

It was a good thing it wasn’t painful, but he didn’t like it when that happened. He had dealt with it for a long time and nothing ever happened to him, but how could he know if it truly was harmless? He was suddenly really afraid.

No. No. Something was messing with him. He knew he would be fine. Breathe in, breathe out. He had Sci and his brother to help him if he was in real need of help, but he was fine. He was just fine. A little glitch never hurt anybody…

Or, anybody else…

He looked around him, his breathing still hitched. His hand never left his eyesocket as he tried to calm himself down, even if the environment wasn’t precisely a pretty, reassuring sight. In a way, it was soothing to see the others sleeping. After so much chaos and tension, peace really was something they all needed. Papyrus needed it, Sci needed it, Dream needed it…

…

Where was Dream…?

Blueberry snapped out of his thoughts as his head darted around in search for a skeleton that was most definitely not where he had been anymore. He could feel that empty tingling in his chest he hated so much; he was getting worried again.

With the glitching mostly gone, he uncovered his eye as he craned, those dots still partially swarming his vision. Dream was nowhere in sight, and he felt an urge to wake Papyrus and Sci up.

He stopped himself.

No, it wasn’t right to jump into conclusions and wake them up for nothing. Everyone would get worried and something bad could happen. They needed all the rest they could get. Dream had probably gotten tired of their company and went somewhere else. Yeah, that had to be it…

He glanced at the cave up ahead. He was most likely there.

…he needed to make sure.

Trying not to make too much noise – a somewhat difficult task with all the grass around them, – he tiptoed towards it, always glancing behind him to make sure none of the slumbering skeletons was awaken by the gentle rustling of the withered blades.

Blueberry picked up the pace until he was near the small cave, and began tiptoeing again; so much to keep everyone as happy as possible. Illuminated by the sketchy crystals at the entrance, he peeked inside.

Empty.

His mild smile dropped immediately as the tingling in his chest returned, and his pupils reduced their size to pinpricks as he whirled around and scanned the area. Even from a somewhat elevated place, he couldn’t see Dream anywhere, and he could already feel panic closing up on him.

_Where had he gone?_

As he tried to get a hold of himself, a gentle breeze blew past him. A piece of paper twirled in the air behind him, and its light crackling caught his attention for a moment. He barely regarded it as he continued to look around, hoping and praying his mind was just playing tricks on him. Contrary to his expectations, the glitching finally stopped.

The brief breeze blew past him again, causing the paper to twirl and inch closer to Blueberry. He gave it a little more attention that time, his breathing hitched as he frowned at it. It was blank, a little crumpled; just a normal piece of paper. He tried to grab it, but the breeze took it away a few feet.

…odd.

He looked at the sky, then back at the paper. Funny, it was almost as if something was trying to make him follow it. Coincidences really could be full of surprises…

When he tried to walk away and resume his search, the breeze came back, and the paper was blown further away under a bewildered, blue gaze.

…he was afraid to think that something did want him to follow that piece of paper. That meant he was crazy, right? It was just an erratic breeze, _right?_

He walked towards the loose page, unsure about what he was even doing, and tried to pick it up again and make it stop messing with his mind – it was blown off once more, a little bit farther than before. And it stayed there, as if waiting for him.

He stopped and stared, slowly standing upright. As insane as it sounded… there was no way that could have been a coincidence. But why, though?

His eyes narrowed, and he followed the loose page. Once he was a few inches away from it, the breeze took it away again, and he didn’t hesitate before walking in its direction. Maybe he was still dreaming… It was strange either way.

The weather was strange there, anyway.

…he had a thought in mind, but he didn’t want to push fake beliefs into himself. There was no way that could possibly be true. The weather was just probably strange by default, nothing paranormal going on.

He kept following the piece of paper. Something out there did want him to follow it, and he tagged along even if he had no idea what was going on. He never forgot to look all around him as the breeze took him towards strange chain-like silhouettes in the distance; he still couldn’t see Dream, and he was getting more and more worried.

The breeze stopped, as so did the paper. Nothing stirred when he walked next to it, and he looked at it with curious eyes before gazing forward.

He nearly exploded with relief at seeing Dream just a few feet away.

Shoulders drooping in solace, he sighed quietly and glanced at the unmoving paper beside him before frowning and looking up. “UH, THANK… YOU…?” Just as he suspected, he got no possible answer, and he briefly considered his sanity before he decided to keep going.

Dream didn’t seem to have noticed him, and he was about to make his presence known to him before he stopped in awe at the sight in front of him. “WHOA…” he murmured, his eyes following the green coding as it disappeared from sight into the ominous clouds.

That massive gap was intimidating, to say the least, when he slowly approached it to inspect it further. Blueberry wasn’t precisely content at seeing Dream sitting on the ledge without a care, and it was then when he noticed that blank, completely emotionless expression on him.

He looked… _contemplative._

Blueberry dismissed more crazy thoughts as he approached the edge of the cliff, maintaining his distance; he felt vertigo by merely standing a few feet from it, even if he couldn’t see the bottom. He was probably still a little dazed from that ruined sleep and was thinking nonsensical, paranoid things. Everything was just fine.

“What.”

He was taken aback by the cold, deadpan voice, and doubted it had been Dream who spoke until he double checked that there was nobody else with him. The caped skeleton wasn’t looking at him; his lifeless eyes were planted on the darkness below him.

“OH, I, UH… I JUST WANTED TO, UH… MAKE SURE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED TO YOU OR ANYTHING.” Blueberry stammered, suddenly sensing the echoes of a saddening, spiteful aura all around him. He could easily assume that Dream was pretty mad about something, too, and he could easily assume that he knew what that was.

“Well, you got your answer. Just leave me alone.”

Blueberry fell silent, his expression the live personification of concern as he exchanged glances between the abyss and the very upset skeleton. He didn’t want to believe it… but seeing how pensive Dream was, he couldn’t help it.

…no, he was overthinking. _Everything was fine._

“IF THIS IS ABOUT… THE WHOLE INCIDENT EARLIER, WE DIDN’T MEAN TO MAKE A SCENE OR ANYTHING. AND I… I DIDN’T MEAN TO SAY ANYTHING THAT COULD MAKE THINGS WORSE SOMEHOW.”

“The only way you can help me is by minding your own business and stop prying into someone else’s problems. I don’t think _you_ understand that.”

Blueberry could almost feel an arrow of hatred pierce through his soul, and he fell silent again before sighing. He couldn’t complain. He _could_ be a little… delusional sometimes. After all, he did try his best to become friends with someone who had ruined everybody’s life and condemned a unique world despite the many indirect warnings he had been given.

“WELL… THEN… I’M SORRY.”

It was a heartfelt apology, but even so he got no reaction or response from Dream. He thought he heard him sigh in irritation. The most logical choice would be to go… He still didn’t like the way he was staring into the nothingness down there. It gave him the urge to stay there and figure out what was truly going on, but that would be wrong. He didn’t want to be a bother.

**_“so cold, huh?”_ **

The blue skeleton startled at the foreign voice behind him, and turned around to see a purely black, much more menacing version of his brother nonchalantly leaning against a half-glitched hill. Twisting a sword in his hand.

And he suddenly realized that the skeleton in front of him was just like the other three that attacked him and Papyrus, and his alarms shot loose. He glimpsed at Dream for a second; he hadn’t moved, but he seemed tense and that lifeless expression had shifted into a wide-eyed one. He was still staring down, nevertheless.

82 let the sword twirl in the air before perfectly catching the handle as it came down, and sheathed it as he pushed himself off the hill. **_“oh, did i scare you? not really my intention, but it’s good to know i can still make myself look like a threat.”_**

Blueberry took a step back; he couldn’t sense hostility, but judging by the fact that other monsters just like that one were fully capable of killing him within a second, he didn’t want to risk anything. “W-WHO ARE YOU…?”

**_“that doesn’t really matter. even though, you could just say i play the role of the messenger here.”_ **

“M-MESSENGER…?”

82 narrowed his eyes. **_“look, let’s just get straight to the point. and you’d better listen to each and every word i’m gonna say, because i’m amongst the reasonable ones in the bunch. the only one, most likely.”_**

“T… THE BUNCH? HOW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE…?”

**_“pfft, lost count. but our numbers keep increasing and decreasing, so it’s nothing important. i don’t think we’ve reached 200 yet.”_ **

Blueberry shivered mentally; _200 of those?_ As if his own power wasn’t enough, Nightmare had an _army?_ Was there something else they needed to know?

 ** _“anyway,”_** the dark Papyrus hissed, not content about Blueberry changing subject whether it was accidentally or not. **_“consider yourself lucky i was the one chosen as your personal little spy, otherwise you two would be in really serious trouble right now.”_**

He easily foresaw the smaller skeleton asking something about the whole spy thing, and he continued before Blueberry could utter a word. **_“and leave the questions for later, if even. look, nightmare has a complex way of doing things. as if it wasn’t obvious enough, he doesn’t like to kill people straight away unless they’ve pissed him off or he just feels like it. he’d rather mess with them as much as possible. and this is where our current problem begins.”_**

82 crossed his arms, and all Blueberry could do was listen. He couldn’t run back to his brother; the dark replica was standing in the middle of the path back, and he didn’t want to risk getting outstripped or straight up caught in an attempt to run to safety.

Dream still wasn’t looking at any of them, but it was clear he was afraid. His trembling hands gripped the ledge as though it was his lifeline.

**_“he doesn’t like it when his targets do stupid things because of how miserable their lives have been turned. he doesn’t like it when they try to attack others, or when they try to hide their fear… or when they try to kill themselves.”_ **

Blueberry startled at his accusation, and glanced at Dream.

He wasn’t…

He _wasn’t_ there to _kill himself, was he?!_

**_“and why am i telling you this? well, in a way you could say i’m helping you, but at the same time i’m not. nightmare has other things in mind, and your shenanigans are not his main concern. doing stupid things will only make him mad, and you don’t want any of that to happen. mostly because you’ll ‘ruin the fun’, according to him.”_ **

The blue skeleton looked down, his mind twirling and twisting thoughts than he didn’t want to think about.

**_“so if i were you, i’d get away from that ledge and hope the sleeping beauties over there learnt their lesson. you’re lucky nightmare doesn’t know about this one place, but he did suspect you’d eventually do something like this. my little friends are making sure the others don’t wake up and turn this into the problem it’s not, and for them, notifying nightmare of this is as easy as blinking. i don’t precisely want to partake on this, but i will if necessary, so think about it.”_ **

Blue eyes looked at the still pensive skeleton with heartfelt worry. Dream made no movement for a few seconds, until he finally shifted himself away from the edge and crossed his legs. It was his silent, mournful way of regretfully letting know 82 that he understood.

**_“good enough. we’re always watching though. one misstep and this information will not be secret anymore, so you’d better keep that in mind if you don’t like pain.”_ **

“BUT… WHY?” Blueberry murmured, earning the other skeleton’s attention. “I MEAN, I DON’T WANT DREAM TO… DO SOMETHING STUPID, BUT… YOU DON’T SOUND LIKE YOU WANT TO DO THIS.”

 ** _“don’t get all mushy on me.”_** 82 warned. **_“i know what you’re like. and yes, i may not be like any of the others, but that doesn’t mean i’m your friend or want to help you out. i’m only following orders.”_**

“…SO ALL THE TIMES NIGHTMARE KNEW WE WERE HELPING… IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU?”

**_“pretty much.”_ **

He fell silent again.

 ** _“it’s not like i chose this life.”_** he heard the dark skeleton almost whisper, and looked at him. **_“but it’s the only one we’ve got, so we’d better make profit out of it even if it all revolves around threats and death and all that stuff.”_**

“WEREN’T YOU CREATED FOR THAT, THOUGH? WHY WOULD YOU BE SO HESITANT ABOUT IT?” Blueberry almost wanted to slap himself; he could hardly believe he’d said something like that, but it seemed to be the truth.

 **_“you’re right and wrong there. when we’re created, we’re utterly clueless. even if we look like that spitfire skeleton from underfell. that’s just to intimidate. we_ ** **learn _what our world is like, and trust me, it’s not your typical abc type of learning.”_**

Blueberry almost wanted to cry as he blinked in realization. Those Papyruses weren’t even naturally evil… they were _forced_ into evil… Who knew how many of them still retained empathy throughout what they were commanded to do. It was… sad. It was… _horrifying._ Treated like tractable objects, being ripped from kindness…

“THAT’S… THAT’S JUST NOT RIGHT…”

**_“don’t feel sorry for us. it’s what we’re like, and it’s what we’ll always be like. don’t treat any of us as friends. especially not me.”_ **

Before Blueberry could say anything else, 82’s body morphed into a dark cloud and he shot off through the grass, out of sight in just a few seconds; he wasn’t in the mood for pacifism and kindness. The blue skeleton’s shoulders drooped in defeat, though he was heavily relieved. That could have ended badly.

 _Really_ badly.

Concerned pupils of blue glanced at the all too silent skeleton. Were those… tears?

“I–“

_“Don’t you have somewhere to go?”_

He took a small step back at the sharp, teary reply, and forced himself to realize that he had nothing else to do there. His head lowered with a sigh, and giving Dream one last look, he walked back towards the others.

Dream couldn’t hold the tears back for much longer.

_“Just get out of my life…”_

* * *

 Stupid. It was all stupid. Pointless. Unfair. Ridiculous. _He just wanted to die._

And he couldn’t even do that. Just because his brother liked to see him suffer. Sometimes, he wished that what he said before was true. That he didn’t have a brother. He didn’t want to be related to such a _cold-blooded monster_.

He tried to fall asleep again, but he couldn’t. Not even while lying down and staring up into the sky, almost as dark as he felt inside. It wasn’t even raining… he felt so alone… so empty… _so miserable_ …

Another tear rolled down his face as he looked at the cliff. Still there, laughing at him, mocking him. He knew that even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t be able to. He was a coward…

He turned away, rolling onto his side as he sobbed helplessly. Everything was pointless… he couldn’t even stop existing… Was his very existence really meant to end up that way? After risking his life multiple times for people he didn’t even know? _That was his payment?_ And the one who traumatized thousands of innocent people and mercilessly murdered whoever he wanted to was the one with the _happy ending?!_

 _Nothing made sense_.

_It was all stupid…!_

He barely even felt the warm breeze as tears flowed, but he did flinch as half a page fluttered down in front of him. He pushed it away like the piece of garbage it was.

But it came back, and landed a little bit further away from him than before; just enough not to invade his personal space, and not to be hidden away in the grass. The other half was soon blown a few inches next to it by the same breeze.

Dream closed his eyes with a pitiful sigh as he sniveled, no attention whatsoever paid to the two pieces of paper. He did look up when the same, warm breeze came back, and the rustling of three more papers above him, intact, caught his attention. He pushed himself to a sitting position as all three of them fluttered down almost in perfect synchronization, landing below the two halves.

When looked at, they formed a badly-shaped but noticeable smiley face.

His head tilted ever so slightly after he wiped his tears away in case his blurred vision was playing tricks on him, but those papers were still smiling at him.

…that couldn’t have possibly been a coincidence…

He startled when soft raindrops slowly began to plummet all around him. Even if he could only see grey, the sky was most definitely not as dark as it had been before, and the tiny drops of water falling down were almost warm.

The random breezes… the convenient rain… _those papers…_

At that point, he didn’t even care if he was going crazy or not. He looked at the sky with almost hopeful eyes, still drenched in disbelief, and wiped the last of his tears away as he blinked.

He dared to say it.

“…Ink…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oi, this nearly made me cry... I'm so sensitive. :'D


	11. Our Last Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a shaky intake of breath, Sci glanced at the flask, and his eyes narrowed decisively. “I’ll help you. I’m not letting anyone else lose their universe. I’ll do everything I can to make this work. I promise.”

Everyone was still sleeping, and he was still fine. He could just pretend that little event never even happened for the time being. Truthfully, he was _really_ afraid. He didn't know of what, exactly, but he was. He fidgeted as he tried to clear his ideas, but he couldn't stop thinking about what happened back there. About what  _would_  happen once Core came back and the other two woke up. He would have to speak up.

Blueberry didn't think he had the courage to tell them that they couldn't make another mistake without risking their lives to a lethal extent, and that Dream hated them and was trying to end his own life. He was well aware he would need to, eventually, but he couldn't see himself telling them right away. He had never given bad news to anyone, let alone news  _that_  bad. He didn't know how to do it; he didn't want to break anybody's hopes more than they already were.

Of course, he couldn't let them figure it out on their own. Without a clue, it would most likely be too late by the time they realized how downhill everything had gone while they slept the day away, and then it would be  _his_  fault entirely for not telling them something as important.

For once, he didn't want to be the helpful, responsible little skeleton he had always been.

He startled when a white light suddenly appeared a few feet away from him, and felt both relief and anticipation as Core's figure slowly became visible amongst the gentle yet eerie glow. He thought of telling them without sudden change of mind, but he would rather wait before mentioning anything... it would be better off when everyone was awake. He just hoped the human didn't ask anything that could get close to the subject, because that meant he'd have to tell a lie that would be exposed soon after if he didn't reply with the truth.

That would make him feel like garbage.

 _"Ah, I see you're awake."_  Core commented, small trails of light dissipating behind them as they stepped forth. They sported a small smile, but Blueberry could tell that they weren't precisely happy. He hadn't expected them to be, though, having in mind how dreadful the Omega Timeline had become.

"YEAH, I COULDN'T REALLY SLEEP... BUT I DON'T NEED TO ANYMORE!" He was feigning a smile before he could even tell, and he just hoped Core didn't realize how forced it was. The small laugh they offered him perfectly told him that they suspected nothing, so he vowed not to start acting too weirdly and keep his composure. It wasn't the time to be cliché.

The lopsided smile began to disappear as Core looked around, and Blueberry felt nervous again.  _"Where is Dream?"_

Don't panic.  _Don't panic._  They didn't need to know yet. "OH, HE'S... NOT REALLY FOND OF US RIGHT NOW, SO HE WENT A LITTLE FURTHER AWAY." His arms were innocently behind his back as he spoke, trying not to rush his tone. That wasn't a lie, was it? "BUT HE'S FINE, THOUGH!"  _Idiot –_ that  _was_ a lie. He hoped Core didn't see him flinch as he realized his small and hopefully harmless blunder.

The human still had that concerned expression, but it didn't show suspiciousness.  _"You did check up on him, though, didn't you? It's always better if we don't leave him completely alone no matter what."_

"OH, YEAH, I DID! IN FACT I JUST CAME BACK FROM THAT." See? That wasn't a lie either; he just needed to calm down. Core sighed softly as they walked past him, sitting down as though they carried an enormous weight; even with no eyes, their expression was immensely thoughtful. In a way, it always was, but it seemed more noticeable then.

_"Good. As long as he's fine without our intervention... we are all fine."_

Blueberry froze for a second.

He smacked himself mentally; Core wasn't getting the right side of the story, and they were so oblivious about what was truly happening. Why wasn't he telling them the truth? Why was it so hard? Why was he complicating everything?  _Why was he risking it so much?_  He was about to say something, but he immediately stopped himself. It felt way too late to suddenly twist his mind around and casually tell the human that they were being spied on and that Dream didn't want to live.

That wasn't right.

But it was even worse to lie...

As he fought against his mind, he barely acknowledged the monochromatic child speaking to him and their words felt like a whisper for a moment until he got a hold of reality again.  _"I visited Dreamtale on the way back."_

The blue skeleton looked at them, letting them know that they had his attention. They were looking up, and hadn’t noticed him spacing out.  _"Abu is a shaman of sorts, and can handle certain types of magic. It is possible that somehow, in the nearest future possible, he may be able to work on something that could help Dream and everyone else affected by Nightmare's rampage, as long as he can count on Sci's knowledge. It's just a guess, though... but we may be close."_

Blueberry blinked. "OH, R-REALLY? THAT'S GREAT!" He really wished that Core's prediction turned out to be true; they couldn't lose any more time. Dream wasn't going to cope with anything for much longer, and the atmosphere kept getting darker and darker. One of those days, they’d do something that certain someone wouldn’t want them to do and condemn themselves.

_"He asked us to go back again, whenever we had time, and talk about it. All of us, if possible, so that we can understand it all better. However... I can't trust leaving Dream alone anymore. What happened last time did not end on anything worrisome, but... who knows? I may sound too skittish, I know... But we can't let anything happen to him. Remember what Abu said in regards to that..."_

He was well aware of the whole what-if story, and he didn't like it one bit. He didn't like anything anymore, as a matter of fact. Where was their small moment of peace? Anything they did could be fatal. He wished he hadn't let that recurring nightmare wake him up, to never have to have heard what their actions would bring upon them from that point on... Then again, Dream could have done something regrettable, or that dark replica of his brother's warning could have been much more serious.

Everything had repercussions he didn't want to deal with. He was so afraid...

_"Are you alright?"_

He snapped out of a trance as if he had been harshly pinched, and he suddenly felt bad because his first thought was that he had been inadvertently ignoring Core speaking to him. "AH- YES, YES OF COURSE! I'M ALWAYS FINE!" It seemed like one of those exclamations where he would confidently laugh at the end of, but he didn't. Or he _couldn't_? Either way, he wasn't feeling it, and he was well aware of how forced his response had been.

_"...I don't know... Perhaps I'm just paranoid, but you are acting strange. And… rather nervously."_

Blueberry felt his whole world sink; liar, lying, lie, nothing of that was on his mindset's dictionary and he doubted he had ever lied before, aside from feeling obligated to keep the side-effects of his trauma from his brother. "OH, A-AM I? MAYBE... IT WAS THE LACK OF SLEEP? I, FOR ONE, FEEL AS GREAT AS ALWAYS!"

Core stared at him silently before facing him; he didn't even notice his over-the-top smile disappear as the human looked at him with very clear seriousness, and his act was dropped completely.  _"It's not usual for you to lie. And I can tell that you are hiding something."_

Blueberry didn't answer with words, but with the shame in his eyes.

_"I know this is hard for you to assimilate. That there are many things wrong with the world and that we might not be able to solve them. It is hard for all of us, but if anything happens, no matter what, you must tell us as long as it is cause for concern."_

The blue skeleton still didn't respond, and they offered him a patient smile. _"We all feel like we should lie every once in a while, and that's alright. Nobody is going to be mad at you, as it's not your fault. But if something concerns you, please let it out."_

Blueberry took a small breath in, then let it out. "IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ALL OF US... IT'S ABOUT ME TOO. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I CAN'T THINK CLEARLY. AND- AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THAT STRANGE ATMOSPHERE THAT COMES AND GOES! IT'S JUST... ME."

_"...I can understand this would affect you more. After all, you've already gone through hopeless situations that stuck to you like glue. That probably is the reason why you are not coping well with this."_

The skeleton tapped his fingers together, nervously. "...DO YOU MIND IF I EXPLAIN EVERYTHING ONCE THE OTHERS WAKE UP? IT... IT'S GOT ME REALLY WORRIED... I WOULDN'T LIKE HAVING TO SAY IT MORE THAN ONCE."

* * *

He paced.

He paced more.

And he kept pacing. In circles, in straight lines, in circles again.

Why was he so worked up? Why couldn’t he let it go? He had kidnapped, taunted and tortured countless monsters and humans all over the multiverse, yet he felt _bad_ about a bunch of worthless simpletons that would end up dead? What was wrong with him? Was he really going crazy at that point?

82 sighed exasperatedly, staring at the black walls. _Why_ did he feel bad? He shouldn’t even be able to feel bad after everything he had gone through! After so much harassment and twisted actions he’d been commanded to do, he should have been insane at that point! And yet there he was, unable to get the next monsters in the kill list out of his head.

 **_“yo, 0, you look upset as_ ** **heck _.”_**

Oh, great. 40 had noticed him acting weird. Just perfect. Anything else? 1, 2 and 3 could just join the party and maybe crack his other eye too for being an empathetic idiot; he’d expect anything at that point.

**_“upset? what could possibly make me look upset?”_ **

82 turned his back on him as soon as he glared at him, arms crossed as though he were a pouting child caught in a moment of weakness, and he could practically feel his comrade’s grin mocking him. **_“oh, i don’t know, maybe the fact that you’ve been walking around in circles and murmuring things since you returned from that lil’ mission of yours. wait, don’t tell me, the blue one overpowered you, right? hah!”_**

In a way, he did; 82 wasn’t going to lie, the small skeleton was a kindness radiator. But he knew it hadn’t been him that had somehow changed his mind. He had felt out of character ever since he let Dream escape all those years ago. Perhaps Blueberry’s words had finally broken his mind and he had gone back to phase one; a clueless monster who had yet to learn what pain and fear were.

 ** _“pfft, yeah sure. it’s not that, it’s… ugh, i don’t even know.”_** 82 waved his hand dismissively as he walked away, and 40 was soon enough following him with a restless smirk.

 ** _“oh, i know, i know…_** ” The other specter invaded his personal space with a singsong tone, ** _“tough little 82 became a softie!”_**

82 shoved him away in disgust, groaning as he kept walking. 40 was still behind him like a leech, and he tried his best to ignore him. **_“softie… tch, i’ll give you softie.”_**

**_“And who happens to be a softie?”_ **

Both skeletons jumped at the same time; none of the two had noticed Nightmare beside them, the three elites next to him like hounds waiting anxiously for orders to hunt and kill.

 **“oh, uh, h- he- w-we were just, uh…”** 40 stammered, and was certainly glad 82 cut him off because he had run short on words to let out in a fit of panic.

**_“it- it was nothing, my lord, just… 40 messing with me, as usual.”_ **

Nightmare chuckled quietly, almost in amusement as the aforementioned skeleton shot 82 a paranoid glare. **_“Well, perhaps 40 should learn not to mess with those who can still do a better job than him.”_**

40 lowered his gaze silently, hearing 2 snicker in the background; that despicable snicker he had. 82 tensed when the piercing blue glare was aimed at him. He wished he couldn’t sense any sort of goodness on him, because he was still thinking it all through. **_“So… got anything to impress me with today?”_**

**_“oh, n-not much, really… i just know that they seem to be getting some information from dreamtale itself. they actually went back there again not long ago. all of them. should that… should that be something we must take care of?”_ **

Nightmare didn’t hesitate before answering. **_“No. It doesn’t matter to me if they try to find any answer there, because they will find none. Nothing that old geezer may tell them will give them any clue as to how to help Dream, and all they know about me are absurd lies and blind assumptions. They can go there as many times as they want; we won’t care.”_**

 ** _“but what if they_** **do _find something useful?”_** 1 commented, frowning slightly. **_“the old man is a shaman, right? even if partially useless, what if he accomplishes something that might slow us down?”_**

Nightmare regarded his words for a moment, and grinned. **_“Then we will take the next step. It all depends on how far these idiots decide they can go, but I have no more room for warnings… Anything we do next, we’ll do it without mercy. It won’t end well for our beloved ball of sunshine.”_**

2 narrowed his eyes, **_“so, once they try anything else, will we finally capture him?”_**

 ** _“Heh, not yet. It’s too soon; I want the others psychologically hurt as well before we end this.”_** He looked at his minions with a haunting smile that screamed insanity; even them, corrupted by psychopathy, were shake by it. ** _“One more mistake by their part, and I’ll let_ you _have your share of fun.”_**

82 didn’t know why, but he didn’t want to partake on the torture that was to come.

* * *

“R-really?”

Sci could hardly believe himself; neither him nor the others.

They thought they had arrived at a dead end when Blueberry spoke the truth once they were all in Dreamtale, so that everyone could hear the risks they were exposed at. The truth about those specters, the truth about Dream, and the truth about himself; Papyrus didn’t know what to be the most upset at. Shenshe seemed especially concerned about Dream’s wellbeing, nearly panicking had it not been for Arel, who promptly calmed her down.

It was then when Abu found it opportune to let them know that, with some help, he could create a serum of sorts able to bring people’s hopes back, something he had been willing to finish for a long time; a delicate mix between ancient magic and chemistry that could have never been more useful. He had the magic part; Sci would have the chemistry part if he figured out how to work with what they already had.

“Yes, really. I have a feeling that I am far from done, but there is only so much you can do with weak magic such as mine. I cannot guarantee this will work… but we must try. Are you willing to cooperate, child?”

Sci couldn’t get rid of that wide-eyed expression that was making his sight ache. “Y-yes, yes of course! I’ll try my best if this really could solve this whole conundrum!”

“and just in case, we could test it out in the omega timeline once it’s done.” Papyrus suggested. “that way we’d know it’s safe and it works like we want it to.”

Core seemed somewhat hesitant; it could have grave side-effects, perhaps unfixable or even deadly… but it was that, or the disappearance of the entire multiverse. They couldn’t afford to hesitate, and they nodded silently as Sci inspected the potions that Abu had brought; he was mainly focused on the golden one.

Abu took the small flask in his hand with care, as though it was a lifeline. It _had_ chances of being one. “Again, I cannot assure anything, but I can definitely say that it will at least have one positive effect on whoever takes it. This was made long ago, from the power of the single apple that saved my life that… fateful day. It’s not as pure and unadulterated as the fruits that no longer exist, but it could be with dedication.”

The elder looked at the golden substance with an inscrutable expression of sorrow. “In a way… this could serve as a way to apologize for and fix our past mistakes.”

Sci gave a blink of confusion. “Past mistakes?”

“I suppose this universe is so ancient nobody else knows.” Shenshe sighed, and regret sparkled through her scarlet eyes. Her ears folded back as she took a small breath in. “Call me crazy, but I can’t stop placing the blame on _all_ of us here. Ever since everything went to hell.”

Everyone was fully listening to her at that point; there was a small head tilt from Core. “Truth is, we never even _belonged_ here. This place belonged to Dream and Nightmare alone; nobody else was meant to stay here, and people could only come and go. That was the way it should have been. But we just took this universe as our own. Moved in and changed everything without realizing how selfish we were being.”

Arel was looking at the dim window as she spoke; something in his one eye beamed spite and deep sadness, and Blueberry in particular wondered where that scar had come from since the first time they visited that universe. For a place meant to be happy, everything was just too… withered away.

“I mean… when we first came here, our presence was still acceptable. Those two warmed up to us so quickly… but then more people came in, and it all started going south from there.” The rabbit creature’s ears dropped completely. “It was all so happy, for everyone… and we just had to ruin it. We had the ‘rule’ of going with the flow; everyone would follow the majority. And… and that… that made me realize how horrible we really were…”

Abu’s calloused hand rested on her shoulder as Shenshe sniveled, trying to hold back her tears. “The only reason all of this is happening is because of us… When it was only the three of us and some more people, we already knew that Nightmare was a fragile being. And by the end of the day, I seemed to be the only one left to care…”

“you mean… nightmare hasn’t always been the monster he is now?” Papyrus lowly mused, and Shenshe let out a teary snicker.

“Of course not. He was as much of a sweetheart as Dream was, and the only thing that really made them different was that he was an introvert. And that mere quality is what turned the world against him.”

Blueberry was the first to blink in disbelief.

“We thought we had control over this world… we thought it was ours. As time went by, disrespecting Nightmare became the norm, and Dream was being _used_ to make people overly happy while keeping him oblivious to it. If it hadn’t been for our selfishness…” She sobbed before continuing, a snow white paw gently wiping a single tear away. “Our tree wouldn’t be devoid of life… Nightmare wouldn’t be a bloodthirsty monster… Dream wouldn’t be suffering… and our many families would still be alive.”

Arel seemed to emotionally flinch at her last statement.

“I can’t be truthfully happy knowing that nearly all the people here destroyed this beautiful world… a world that wasn’t even theirs… A-and now look what happened! Now Nightmare is an unstoppable, immortal being, and if things keep going the way they are, we will all die; or worse, be devoid of happiness until we pass away, or kill each other, or- or-”

She couldn’t hold her tears much longer, silently crying as Abu tried his best to soothe her. The other human was still looking away. It was hard to interpret his gaze; it was a heavy mix of guilt, hatred, nostalgia and sadness. Given his noticeable depression and his reaction to Shenshe mentioning the death of families, Blueberry had come to expect the worst, but he didn’t want to think about it. He was upset enough already.

With a shaky intake of breath, Sci glanced at the flask, and his eyes narrowed decisively. “I’ll help you. I’m not letting anyone else lose their universe. I’ll do everything I can to make this work. I promise.”

Hugging Shenshe as her tears continued to flow, Abu nodded at him with a hidden but warm smile. The rabbit side-glanced at him, nose twitching. “It’s our last hope… please… help us make things right…”

Abu let go of her as she finally calmed down, and handed the flask to the scientist. “My full trust is on you, child. I can tell that all of you are gentle souls, and will take good care of this. The only thing we want is to see Dream happy again…”

 _“Remember one thing, though…”_ Core warned; they hated to be the one to bring bad news, but they were too concerned to keep it for themselves – especially after Blueberry’s discovery. _“We are being watched and may have only one chance. What we have here is something_ big _; if Nightmare ever realizes what we’re doing, we’re dead.”_

* * *

The rain stopped.

Just like that. Abruptly.

Dream had barely even realized he had been at the edge of falling asleep until drops ceased falling, and his eyes fluttered open as the gentle sound of the rain faded out of existence. He tiredly looked around him, and as suspected, no water was falling from the sky anymore.

It had been such brusque action. There had to be a reason for that, right…?

When he stopped to think about the reasons that would lead Ink to stop the only thing that made him happy and turn a soft sound that could send him to a safe and peaceful sleep into utter, haunting silence in the span of a second, he felt unadulterated fear.

His first thought was that it was a warning.

And even if he didn’t know what his deceased friend’s true motives were, every inch of him was telling him to get out of plain sight and hide before something bad happened. But he didn’t move.

It wasn’t that he _couldn’t_ move.

He didn’t _want_ to move.

When thought through, running away felt pointless given the circumstances. If Nightmare wanted to hurt him, then he would; there was nobody to stop him, and trying to run away was useless. He was tired and his femur had started to ache some time ago – anybody could catch up to him before he could take four steps, and there weren't many places to hide there.

No, he didn’t want to be at the mercy of someone who would give him none… but his only choice was to resign to his fate. He couldn’t run, and he couldn’t hide. Even if he did, he would eventually be found and it would make things worse for him. He just had to accept it; it would be easier for him. There would be pain, too much pain, but eventually, he would die…

But his worries stopped weighing him down when he caught something through the corner of his eye, and he looked up in curiosity when he saw a strange figure on top of a hill. He saw black, but he also saw red and blue, and fluttering words in white.

That was not Nightmare in the distance.

Ink’s disappearance made much more sense to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this felt... I dunno, bland? I shouldn't have stayed up until 3 AM writting this. :'D Determination I guess.
> 
> Ayy... the darkest side of the story begins now.
> 
> Edit: added one last paragraph. I forgot the suspense. >:3


	12. Margin of Error

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I figured I should let you two take the spotlight for some time as well... after all, I do need you as broken as everybody else, and what better way to let that fear manifest than to b̡ri̸ng̶ yo͝u̴r dar͘kest ̛mem̨or̴ies̨ ba̡ck to͢ life?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: whoops, I somehow deleted this whole chapter while trying to edit it. silly meh.

Leaving felt like having the weight of the entire world, or what was left of it, on their shoulders. It was true, in a way; they were given the task to keep something as frail as porcelain safe from the relentless evil that was slowly contaminating the multiverse. One single mistake and it would be over.

Blueberry stalled before they left, though; there was a question buzzing in his mind like a restless swarm of flies, and it wouldn't go away until he got something close to an answer. Anything would suffice, really – he just wanted to be sure he wasn't borderline crazy before returning.

"OH, MR. ABU…"

The elder turned around to face him; behind the snow white beard was a patient smile. "No need for formalities, child. Tell me."

"I JUST HAD A… REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR MYSELF. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER IT, BUT… I REALLY NEED AT LEAST A CLUE."

Papyrus, Sci and Core waited for him; curiosity was visible in their expressions as they listened to both question and answer with intrigue. Abu nodded at the small skeleton, signaling him to go ahead.

"IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MONSTER… O-OR A HUMAN… TO SOMEHOW STILL BE AROUND AFTER THEY DIE? LIKE… GHOSTS OR SPIRITS? NOT THE GHOST-TYPE OF MONSTERS THAT YOU CAN SEE AND INTERACT WITH, JUST… GHOSTS."

Papyrus was the first to tilt his head at his brother's unexpected question; there was one thing he hadn't told them simply because he wasn't completely sure, and he didn't want to raise their hopes or even freak them out for nothing. Abu seemed to think his question over, equally as intrigued by his strange query as the others but willing to answer nevertheless.

"As a matter of fact, it is possible, but only on certain occasions. In some universes, at least one human or one monster are heavily connected to their timeline; ours would be a prime example of this. If said being is to die in their own timeline, they may linger on as their essence. I have heard they are able to manipulate their surroundings… but I don't know as far."

As soon as his explanation was done, Blueberry beamed, a smile so wide it could zip off his head, like he had been told the best thing he had ever heard in his life. And he wasn't going to lie; for the time being, he  _had_  been told such thing.

"May I ask now, child," Abu said. "Where did this question come from?"

The blue skeleton didn't lose his smile for a second, and he stifled a gleeful laugh as he looked back at the others. It was hard to resist joining his smile; he radiated joy, the type of joy the entire multiverse was in serious need of.

"INK'S STILL WITH US."

Wide eyes followed his statement; eyes of surprise, confused happiness, and in a way, disbelief. "h-hold on, what?" Papyrus stammered, taking a step forth.

"IT MAKES SENSE!" his brother exclaimed with illusion. "DO YOU REMEMBER THE WEIRD WEATHER? IT WAS BECAUSE OF HIM! AND- AND WHEN I FOUND DREAM, I FOUND HIM BECAUSE A BREEZE MOVED A LOOSE PAGE AROUND AND LED ME TOWARDS HIM! THAT JUST CAN'T BE COINCIDENTAL!"

Everyone exchanged shocked glances, especially when the pieces of the puzzle began to fit perfectly together. The breeze, the rain, the temperature, it all fit too well to be caused by mere coincidences, and if what Abu had said was true, then there was no doubt about it.

"And it wasn't." the old man nodded. "That must be the cause for the strange occurrences you speak about. If the creator died in his own timeline, then his essence is still lingering. He must be trying to repay what Dream did for him, as best as he can." He looked into the sky. "I wish I had gotten to meet him, at least once. All I know about him are words, but Dream hadn't once said anything bad about him."

"T-THEN IT REALLY IS TRUE," Blueberry sighed gleefully.

"It is great to know he's not gone forever." Core pulled a lopsided smile, but it was quick to disappear as they thought things through. "But... it's rather sad knowing he is aware of what the world is like now... There is only so much he can do, it must be horrible for him to watch and be unable to do anything."

For once, Blueberry let go of his smile. From what he had been told, he died trying to protect them all. It really had to be sad for him to realize that his efforts had been almost completely in vain...

He wanted to make up for it.

* * *

He couldn't take his eyes off of him. He didn't know if he was afraid or... happy? After all, Error had no reason to hesitate before killing him, unlike his brother. And it was a faint possibility that he knew killing him meant killing Nightmare as well; then his death would be certain if he was spotted.

But he couldn't bring himself to just walk up to the motionless glitch in the distance and ask him to end his miserable life. Error, too, was a merciless killer. He didn't want to die at the hands of someone who would torture him if he had other choices, and he didn't move.

He was mostly worried about what would happen when the others returned. The current situation screamed a fight, and Dream didn't want to be anywhere near it. And if a fight did take place, then so many panicked thoughts across the timeline would surely lure Nightmare in and cause an even bigger scene.

Not even rain would soothe him at that point.

And speaking of the others returning... His nonexistent heart skipped a beat when he heard the sound of a distant door creaking open. His grey gaze immediately shot towards Error, but from that angle he couldn't tell where the glitch was exactly looking at. However, even from that small altitude, he would most likely be able to see them before they saw him.

Dream stayed where he was, lightly shivering.

Another fight, bound to be chaotic, was the last thing he needed.

He was afraid, but by the other hand, the rest could hardly feel anything but relief at that point. Nobody, not even Abu himself, knew if the serum would have the desired effects, or any effect for that matter, but it was still a great discovery and they were going to make the best of it. That dark aura was still spreading across the multiverse; they needed to stay positive.

Sci had immediately gone to his own timeline, willing to see what he could do with the fateful flask of magic. He had already told the others not to worry too much about him; his timeline had always been secluded, and being almost completely destroyed made it even less reachable. Nightmare hadn't found it yet, but Error had, and they would all have moved there had they not been debating whether or not the glitch was still alive.

The first thing Blueberry did as he came in through the door was shout a greeting into the sky, beaming joy all over and hoping Ink would somehow answer him. Nothing happened, however, but that wasn't enough to fully dishearten the smiling skeleton. Papyrus was glad to see him like that, especially after knowing how badly traumatized he truly was.

He couldn't blame him for not telling him... Blueberry was just too good for his own good.

After settling in, Papyrus finally seemed to take notice of the strange atmosphere. He wasn't eager to break the peace, but it really was bothering him and he didn't want any more secrets among the group. "hey... is it just me or this place is eerily silent now?"

Core paused to inspect the zone, and Blueberry let his smile drop when he heard the deafening silence.  _"Now that you mention it... it does feel quite sinister somehow. Like everything just...stopped."_

The blue skeleton didn't like what his mind was machinating. Because if Ink was there, trying to help Dream... and everything had gone quiet... and the last time he saw Dream, he was trying to...

Everything around him stopped, and he felt a painful emptiness inside him as he whirled around towards the canyon's general direction. His instincts, his terror, all of it was about to straight up make him rush there as if he could fly, but he stopped at the sight of something sitting on top of one of the many terrain elevations.

The red, the black, the blue and the white drowned him in realization.  _That_  made more sense, but it didn't calm him down at all.

"G- GUYS...?"

Eyes of intrigue looked at him, then set off into the direction Blueberry was so intently staring at.

And right there, in the near distance, sat a figure Papyrus was too quick to identify. The black head slowly turned to look at them; spiteful eyes of red and mismatched pupils glared deep into their souls, and a grin, small but maniacal, mocked them.

Error's figure began to fuzz in and out of existence, and he teleported to a nearer hill in the mere blink of an eye; Papyrus was suddenly in front of his brother and wishing he was still sleeping and was seeing something that would never happen, all whilst the broken monster ahead slowly stood up.

The glitch merely stared at them for a moment, as if inspecting them, before tilting his head.  **"well ain't that a surprise, some company at last! so... how many of you are there?"**

Papyrus blinked at the strange question, and responded with flowing hostility mostly to hide his rising fear. "what do you mean how many of us are there?"

Error shrugged.  **"hey, help me out a little, it's not like i can see or anything."**

All three widened their eyes at the same time. From behind his brother, Blueberry had managed to take a thorough look at his absolute frenemy, and he looked pitiful enough to wrench his heart despite the deadly situation they were in.

He seemed unable to put much weight onto his right leg, but was still able to stand nevertheless. His clothes were tattered and seemingly burned, and his face... The entire left side of it was covered in a dried out but noticeable red color and a crack ran down the bottom of his eye which, along with the right one, was strangely narrowed and dim. Blueberry hadn't been told with so much detail, but Papyrus and Core knew where the damage to his eyes had come from, and had he still been alive, they would've reminded themselves not to ever play with Ink's patience.

Error was partially blind. The fact that he wasn't even looking directly at them, just towards their general direction, told a lot.

"YOU... CAN'T?"

Lifeless eyes widened at the cautious yet concerned voice he remembered very well, and Error squinted towards its source. He wasn't even completely blind, but that combined with this myopia made seeing things afar a pretty difficult task. Everything was a cloudy blur, but even through the haze and the floating words all around him he was able to recognize a small figure hidden behind a more menacing one.

He pulled a mocking smile, feigning happiness. **"oh, if it ain't my little friend! long time no see, huh? you didn't even try to contact me or anything after leaving me all alone. how rude."**

Blueberry didn't bring himself to answer at all; something, an inner feeling of dread, was keeping him silent. "don't even talk to him." Papyrus growled, and the smaller skeleton behind him wasn't precisely eager to notice that orange glow flickering dangerously in his eye. He didn't want a fight to take place there, especially not against Error.

The broken skeleton moved his hands up dismissively, not posing a threat. **"whoa, alright, papa bear. jeez, talk about overprotective. you might as well lock him up like some princess with that act of yours."**

A black eye twitched in rage, and Blueberry had to pull on his sibling's arm to stop him from causing a scene. "PLEASE, DON'T FIGHT, JUST FORGET IT."

_"Listen to him,"_ Core stepped up. _"We can't afford an unnecessary fight right now."_

Papyrus lightly shook his head in disbelief as he turned to look at the human, fear and anger slowly overpowering his common sense. " _unnecessary_ , what do you mean unnecessary, we have the same maniac who caused all of this to happen and wants us dead right in front of us!"

_"If he wanted to hurt us, he would have by now. Is that not right?"_

The other two skeletons looked back at Error as Core shot him a defying glare that he didn't appreciate. The glitch seemed to have frozen for a moment, still staring at them with an aloof act. **"you think you know everything, huh?"**

_"Not everything, but I do know what is happening now. I do know that you did not come here for us. You're hiding."_

He froze again, and the blue skeleton exchanged bewildered glances between him and the stern human.

_"I saw you hopping through universes over and over again with too much of a rush, and with Nightmare following you all along, searching thoroughly for you in each and every world he came across. As of now, you wouldn't dare to hurt us. Because you know that Nightmare would be further after you."_

By the time their conclusion came to an end, all three monsters were looking at them in awe. Papyrus didn't even question why Core hadn't told them that they saw Error around when he came into their conversation earlier; he didn't feel as impotent as he turned to glower at him.

Error's dim eyes narrowed, and he seemed to erratically twitch. **"are͞ yo͡ų thr̡eateni̧ng̷ me."**  he snarled. **"are you͟ trying̶ to ̶intįmida͏te̡ m̶e.͘"**

_"You know you can't hurt us with Nightmare on the prowl."_

The glitch let out a furious, indignant growl, but cut himself off. It was way too risky to attack anybody, but he truly wished he could; not that it would do much against Core's aggravation given that they couldn't be hurt, though. Pity. 

"it's not like he _could_ fight, anyway." Papyrus let the flame disappear from his eye in a small puff of smoke, albeit reluctantly. It wasn't worth starting a fight if it wasn't meant to happen; he wasn't about to endanger his brother.

Error laughed at his words.

**"can't i? i'll have you know i don't need my sight anymore to fight. i've fought more monsters than you'd ever wish to and i know more tricks than you'd ever learn in your life. i could fight completely blindfolded at this point."** He sighed a chuckle full of hidden spite. **"but it's always better to see the face of your opponent clearly... can't precisely do that thanks to certain pi̡ec̶e ̡o͟f ͢mi̸s̷e̕r̶able͏ ͟fįlth͏.̵"**

Papyrus felt rage build up again, but he maintained his composure. Blueberry, by the other hand, seemed more than upset after hearing his shameless words, and he didn't hesitate to show it. His eyes narrowed in indignation as he looked down. "HE CAN HEAR YOU, YOU KNOW."

Error frowned at him, and silence cast upon them until a mocking laugh, breaking into itself, tore it apart; it was maddening. **"and now he believes in ghosts! yeah, you'd always find a way to make me laugh. glad that hasn't changed."** He placed his hands on his waist, arrogantly, as he looked at the sky. **"well hear this, you're nothing but garbage and honestly, you've done the world a favor by letting yourself die like the weak idiot you've always been!"**

He looked at the others with a hateful smile, sickeningly proud of himself. **"can he still hear me?"**

All of a sudden, a breeze began to blow past them, but it slowly built up until it became a dangerous gust of wind, and three pages violently shot through the air like bullets. They hit Error's face, harshly and unexpectedly enough to send him off his feet and make him tumble down the hill in a mess of particles and code until he hit the ground below face-first.

Blueberry covered his mouth, trying not to laugh - there were many reasons why he knew he shouldn't, but he was still struggling not to even chuckle. Papyrus wasn't as concealing when it came to showing a sneering smile, though.

That was most definitely Ink.

The sassy, bullheaded Ink they knew, not the one who gave up.

"good one," the skeleton clad in orange uttered into the sky, though he wasn't expecting an answer. Had Ink been able to manipulate his timeline differently, Error would have probably been told to shut up in a less entertaining way, and everyone was aware the fallen creator probably hadn't meant for his warning to be funny. Or perhaps he did, who knew?

Error sat up, grumbling and rubbing his head. Angered humiliation was clearly visible on his broken traits as he grit his teeth and looked up as though he was about to kill the cluster of clouds above. **"oh, you little bastard..."** he muttered. **"you'd better be glad you're dead, you would've paid for this dearly."**

He realized he was talking to nobody at all.

He wasn't all that shocked. Nothing new.

He caught static movement in grey, orange and blue, and his eyes narrowed. **"and what are you looking at."** He stood up, huffing and hiding the effort it actually took him to do so.

"at your sorry face." Papyrus dared to shoot back. "get outta here. i don't care what you came here for and i couldn't care less if you're being hunted down, you're not welcome and you'll never be. just get back to your rathole."

**"no can do, it's already been found."** the broken skeleton shrugged carelessly, pacing around without minding the deathly glares he was getting.

_"And so has this place."_ Core retorted, but Error still seemed unfazed.

**"yeah, but this would be a pretty obvious place to look for me."** the glitch grinned. **"i've gone back and forth through every remaining universe. i made my path a labyrinth. it'll take that psycho some time to get here, and when he does... welp, _then_ i'll go."**

The flame was back, and Papyrus hardly acknowledged his brother muttering his name behind him. "i swear, if you bring that maniac here, i'm gonna personally kill you."

Error snorted, twitching again. **"i quiver with fear."**

Papyrus growled, but he suddenly stopped. His eyes widened, and all three froze as though time had completely come to an end. They were staring, not at Error, but at something behind him, a cloud of smoke slowly taking a very recognizable shape. 

The glitched skeleton frowned nonchalantly. **"what? ran out of threats and comebacks?"**

Careless of whether or not Error could see him, Blueberry slowly raised a trembling hand, pointing at him with pinprick sized pupils. It wasn't easy to tell what he was trying to tell him from the other skeleton's perspective, but a wave of dread behind him made him take the hint; he, too, froze, smile immediately disappearing.

_**"So it would take me 'some time' to find you, mh?"** _

Error stumbled back, eyes filled with quivering words at that point. The others stepped back. They didn't have Nightmare's attention and were completely out of his focus for the time being, but they didn't want to get stuck in the middle of an incoming fight and risk their own safety. "where is dream." Papyrus stressed, glaring at the other two.

"W-WE'D HAVE TO GO AROUND THEM TO REACH HIM!" Blueberry stammered, and Core was quick to find a solution of their own; time was running.

_"I'll go get him."_

They disappeared from sight as Papyrus and Blueberry backed away. The last fight between Error and Nightmare had ended in utter chaos; they could only hope that one ended quickly, or better yet, was taken somewhere else. They definitely did _not_ want to be there.

Core materialized behind them without bringing any attention, and fortunately for them, it was easy to spot yellow and blue among the endless field of black and grey; they were so distraught about the incoming disaster that they didn't even see the columns of code ahead.

_"Dream?"_

His sight was locked into nothing and he was shivering, muttering incoherent things and completely panicking. He was definitely aware of what was happening, which wasn't precisely a good thing. Core didn't know how to deal with panic attacks all that well, but they did know they couldn't rush things and gently kneeled beside the skeleton despite the rush of fear trying to overpower them. They couldn't lose him nor could they let anything happen to him.

_"Hey, it's okay, I'm here..."_

Trembling eyes slowly glanced at them.

_"I know you're afraid, but we must get out of here."_

Dream looked back down, at a loss of options. The worst case scenario was happening and he wasn't ready for it. The others were prone to helping him with Nightmare around, and that was not something he was looking forward to. His brother's mere presence already made his strength of will fail; there was no running away. As long as nobody intervened, he would be fine.

But they wouldn't understand. He was too terrified to tell them.

Not far from them, things didn't seem about to take off in the right direction. The way Nightmare was grinning, a smile so wide and malevolent and somber, only had room for bad news. Papyrus couldn't stop trying to spot Core behind the two skeletons; he could sense chaos, and they only had a margin of minutes or even seconds before all hell broke loose.

_**"I'm not going to say it was a bad choice for you to come here, of all places. If anything, it's exactly what I wanted. You shouldn't have been running away in the first place... I'm not even going to kill you."** _

Error pretended not to be faced by the much stronger monster in front of him, but he was faltering and he was well aware of it. He narrowed his eyes. **"yeah right. you expect me to believe you went all across the multiverse to be friends with me or something?"**

Nightmare chuckled at his sarcasm, then laughed with complete madness; and even someone as twisted as Error had become stepped back.

_**"You're not... e̛n͠t̷ire̢l͜y wron̷g̡."** _

His tone darkened, and Error knew it was an absurdly stupid idea to stop and fight him when all four tentacles threatened to strike; the blue pupil contracted as the melting monster laughed, and Error dodged three of the knife-sharp appendages before bringing himself to make a portal to hell knows where faster than what he thought was possible.

He turned around to step through, but found himself paralyzed when one last tentacle swiftly pierced his cervical spine. The portal glitched in and out of existence before finally closing, and Papyrus startled when his brother jumped at the unexpected attack.

And yet, Error didn't die despite what would seem like a lethal attack for anyone. From head to toe, a dark aura in black and purple slowly enveloped him, and his eyes went completely black, half-lidded and devoid of emotion, until his expression became utterly lifeless. When the appendage retreated, he drooped, like some sort of zombie.

Nightmare's hateful chuckle was the only thing that made the two brothers get their confused and shocked eyes away from Error. **"You know the puppet master has done something wrong when he lets himself become the puppet."**

"what have you done...?" Papyrus nearly whispered, not at all concerned for the glitch himself but fearful as to what was about to happen.

**"Just a little mind control trick. I figured I should let you two take the spotlight for some time as well... after all, I do need you as broken as everybody else, and what better way to let that fear manifest than to b̡ri̸ng̶ yo͝u̴r dar͘kest ̛mem̨or̴ies̨ ba̡ck to͢ life?"**

As if on cue, eyes of black looked up.

Strings flew in every direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, it's that time of the day: cliffhanger time!
> 
> Who missed our lovable glitchy troublemaker who is literally to take all the blame for what's happening~? It's time for everybody else to be slapped by the hand of suffering. Oh boy.


	13. Breaking, Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, wasn't that unexpected?" Nightmare's amused voice pried everyone's attention, except for Error's, off the small skeleton. "Seems like things keep getting interesting..." He flashed a malevolent grin, and a twisted idea crossed his mind. He knew how to psychologically break the two siblings; all he needed was the young one to react the way he wanted him to.
> 
> "Looks like we'll need a change of plans."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter has a lot of typos. Sorry, I can't check it again right now because I'm on a rush. ;-;

The recognizable whir and explosion of a broken Gaster Blaster sent Core's alarms blaring; they barely even realized they had jumped at the ominous sound not far from them, and certainly didn't like what they saw when they hurriedly turned around. They knew who the slender, agile figure jumping back through the smoke the blast left behind belonged to, and they felt themselves tremble in anticipation and distress.

Dream scrambled away in shock at the sudden explosion, stumbling behind the hill as to stop himself from looking at the scene and throwing his hands over his head in utter terror.

Core exchanged glances between him and the commotion ahead; they didn't know who to stay with, and their mind raced uncomfortably. Dream was panicking, but Blueberry was certainly not going to partake in the fight and it was Error they were talking about. Both sides needed help and company, and the human child just didn't know what to do.

Papyrus did, though; the only thing in his mind was to both fight and flee. How or why Nightmare knew the amount of hatred he had towards Error and vice versa, he was clueless, but he definitely knew how to use that mutual spite to his advantage.

Error moved lifelessly, and Papyrus felt chills every time he looked at him. That emotionless expression he bore as he sent attack after attack was terrifying and haunting, as if Error himself wasn't menacing enough already. There was something really unnerving and eerie about fighting someone who showed a completely lifeless expression throughout the battle, and Papyrus would rather hear his cruel string-based puns whilst they fought than retain a mental image of those inscrutable eyes of darkness.

Papyrus dove through scalding beams and hazardous strings, and those waves of magic were definitely stronger than the last two times he fought the glitch as far as he could remember. He tried to keep his focus on Nightmare to predict what Error was going to throw at him next, but it was no use. It was pure mind control; Nightmare only had to watch, and he wasn't visibly indicating what his temporary puppet would do next. Cunning, he thought.

The tall skeleton tried to distract Nightmare somehow, but Error was constantly one step ahead of him and wouldn't let him approach.

"why are you even doing this?!" he shrieked through heavy breaths, and he felt afraid when he realized he was exhausted not even five minutes into the fight; and he hadn't landed a single hit on Error yet. He truly hoped Nightmare didn't show up because he knew about what happened back in Dreamtale, otherwise they were helplessly doomed. He regrettably couldn't find any other reason for him to take the time to lure Error there and attack all of a sudden, but Papyrus was willing to have at least _half_ a clue that would let him expand his choices. "you only come here when we try to help, yet we didn't do anything!"

He jumped and rolled out of the way when Error sent a quartet of whip-like strings towards him in a horizontal line at a deathly speed, and he felt true dread when the mere threads, as thin as cobwebs, literally pierced a hill in half like they were blades. Long story short: if Nightmare wanted him to die, a single hit would be all it took. He shuddered at the thought.

 ** _"Oh, I never said such thing."_** the creature of darkness said, sickeningly happily. **_"I said I would hurt Dream if you tried anything. You don't matter all that much to me, so I can hurt_ you _whenever I feel like it. And as it turns out, I feel like it now."_**

Two blasters spawned above Error, and Papyrus grit his teeth. It was a mere thought to reassure himself, but he doubted it was Nightmare's intention to kill him given that he wanted the entire multiverse to thrive in darkness and despair before ending anyone's life. However, he wasn't about to play it safe and risk anything.; pain wasn't on his to-do list.

No one noticed the fast, grey figure rushing past them, straight towards a skeleton frozen in dread as the battle continued.

Core didn't like the sight of those terrified blue eyes, pupils so small they could barely be seen. They fully expected Blueberry to react when they finally reached his side, but he didn't even flinch or shift. He was completely frozen, and it was as if he couldn't hear the monochromatic child calling out for him.

Core felt heavy unease. It wasn't the first time they saw Blueberry like that, and they could only expect the worst given the circumstances. He would constantly panic and hallucinate the first two weeks after being rescued from the anti-void, and even though those traumatic side-effects lingered, they hadn't been as worrisome until then. The sight of his brother fighting Error had been the trigger, surely.

Core had underestimated how truly, malevolently cunning Nightmare could be. He _had_ managed to recreate the scene that would cause both siblings to panic with precision, and it was definitely taking the desired effect.

 _"Blue, come on, you have to move!"_ Core urged, trying desperately to drag the small monster away from the chaos in front of them and tugging at his arm without any success until too much force caused their hands to phase through him. They felt so impotent as they tried over and over again to make him react; Blueberry was as still as stone, and he wouldn't budge. He wouldn't even _blink_. Not shaking or breathing rapidly, just staring in unadulterated shock, unable to take his eyes off the fight.

Suddenly, a place as dark as the Doodle Sphere had become had the brightness of the no longer existent judgment hall back at his own universe; as opposed to attacking and dodging, he saw and heard Error laughing maniacally and mocking him as he fought his one and only brother without mercy.

He couldn't tell if it was an illusion or not. His own fear had trapped him.

Jumping between strings, and bones, and lasers, Papyrus still managed to risk a glance at his brother out of heartfelt concern, though it was hard with all the smoke and dust that had gathered around him and the overall stress of taking his eyes off of Error even for a moment.

And he saw him paralyzed in terror, unresponsive even when their eyes met.

He almost heard his soul shattering at such sight, and only the sharp hiss of those hazardous threads shooting towards him made him look elsewhere and dash out of the way before he was cut to pieces. The ground below him surely took his place, shredded grass flying from where he stood a moment ago.

The fight had to _stop_. He didn't care how, it just _had_ to stop. He couldn't care less if he had to kill Error to bring the madness to an end; he hadn't been joking when he threatened him anyway, and it wasn't like he was being given many other choices to get out of that quite literal nightmare without any harm, physical or psychological, done. Do or die; nothing else was on his mind.

But Error had gotten good at dodging; that, or Nightmare had more knowledge on fighting than he did. Thus far Papyrus had only managed to hit him thrice at max, and those had all been close calls. None of the two had yet taken a full blow, and Papyrus definitely didn't want to be the first one.

And as Dream cowered, Error and Papyrus fought, Blueberry was taken by his fear and Core tried left and right to get them out of there, Nightmare nonchalantly paced around them and enjoyed the feeling of utter dread radiating off of everybody. He had let them freely prance around like heroes for long enough; it was their time to learn who they were messing with. After that, there would be two down, and two more to go. He hoped Error would make it out of the battle once it ended, simply because he would be useful against Sci too. As for Core, time would definitely do. They already felt helpless enough.

Mind control was something fun; a power he wished he had obtained much earlier than that. While it only worked on people who had lost all hope, its effects were delightful, especially if used on the right person, against the right person. All he had to do was mentally command them a single action, and they would comply like mere machine. Error's command? To fight without mercy until his rival broke down.

It was a pity he couldn't use it on Dream. His pitiful friends would lose all hope so easily if he turned against them, but he was powerless and unable to put up an actual fight against anyone. Oh, it could have been marvelous to have him lash out at the inhabitants of his own universe.

Speaking of Dream, though...

He was still cowering, shaking like a leaf, hugging himself with tightly closed eyes, flinching each time and explosion rumbled across the timeline. It was so satisfying to see him so afraid and helpless; Nightmare couldn't resist messing with him as chaos continued to unleash not far away from them.

 ** _"Why so afraid?"_** he taunted with a malevolent grin. **_"I'm not even going after you this time. I thought you didn't care about those fools, and yet, look at you."_**

 _No_.

No, he didn't. Dream truly couldn't care less about what happened to them, but he didn't want Error rampaging anywhere near him and the amount of negative emotions spreading across was heavily confusing him. "Just... Just m-make it stop..." he sobbed, not daring to open his eyes. He didn't want to see that heartless grin staring at him.

He did flinch when Nightmare crouched in front of him, and he shut his eyes tighter at the unbearable wave of negativity just inches away from him. **_"Heh, even when emotionless, you're still the pathetic softie you've always been. Some things never change, mh?"_**

Dream was terrified of the fact that he didn't know what he was so afraid of. He had already accepted his fate, hadn't he? He had accepted that there was no running from Nightmare, and he had accepted that he _wanted_ to die. Yet, he couldn't stop shivering. He couldn't understand; that alone nearly made him shed tears of horror.

Perhaps being afraid had already become a part of him; he wouldn't be surprised. Or perhaps it was because he had the personification of darkness and negativity in its purest form right in front of him. Either way, the terror he felt when Nightmare was nearby wasn't anywhere near normal, even when Dream surrendered to his fate.

**_"So that is the thanks I get for helping my dear little brother? Oh, how cold."_ **

Dream mustered the courage to let one of his eyes flutter open, only out of confusion. With a light laugh, his brother stood up and turned away from him, contemplating the ongoing fight. **_"It's you who doesn't want any help from these clueless idiots. If they are in no condition to even help themselves, they will be in no condition to help you."_** Nightmare gave Dream a menacing sideways glance. **_"And you should appreciate that. Believe me when I say next time anybody tries to help you won't end well. For you, of course."_**

"B-but why... If y-you don't want them to help, just... just take me away from here... J-just... s-stop hurting me..."

It was almost funny how much malicious intent could be seen in a single eye. Dream knew his brother was holding back; he could easily see how much he wanted to hurt him right then and there. **_"And I_ will _take you from here."_** Nightmare grinned. **_"In fact, that has been my intention since this started. But now that we have this bunch of clowns thinking they can play the hero, why not make things interesting before sealing this world's fate?"_**

He chuckled, and Dream pensively looked down as he slowly walked away; the caped skeleton flinched when an explosion harshly rumbled across like thunder _ **. "I will have to hurt you much more than this, anyway, so keep that in mind. How else are you going to break?"**_

Dream waited until his dark sibling was far enough to weakly look up at the fight. Both sides were fighting ferociously at that point, and the mere thought of it happening so close to him was unnerving.

He sighed.

So that was how things were going to be... He wasn't willing to be taken to a universe where there was nothing but darkness. The same universe he had spent a hundred years in a petrified slumber and had barely escaped from. Not to mention there was pain in the way, and most likely too much of it.

He regretted the moment he turned away from the abyss.

Another explosion sent blades of burnt grass flying in every direction in a wave of dust, and Papyrus rubbed his eyes hastily before looking up with furious exhaustion. Much to his surprise, the curtain of smoke only revealed Error's hunched figure standing idly as opposed to readying yet another attack. Papyrus couldn't help but relax at the lack of incoming danger, but only to a certain extent.

His eyes scanned for Nightmare's presence, and he visibly flinched when he saw his figure padding from behind him through the corner of his eye. Given that Error had definitely stopped, he kept his irate glare fixed on the much more menacing skeleton circling him until he was behind his ironical puppet.

**_"Enjoying the show?"_ **

Papyrus only growled in response. He knew all Nightmare wanted was to see him afraid, to see him being weighed down by the remembrance of what Error had done to him and his universe in the past, but despite feeling that inner fear all over him he refused to give that maniac the satisfaction he was looking for.

**_"No? Seems like your brother is."_ **

Papyrus immediately dropped his bold, infuriated glare to show a wave of despair he didn't want the melting skeleton to see, but it was a reflex action that he could not fight against. His common sense was begging him not to look away, but he did.

Blueberry was still there, idling in a trance. Core had regretfully deemed their attempts to take a response out of him useless, and could only stand and stare with heartbreaking concern written all over their mostly inscrutable expression.

Whenever Papyrus met his brother's horrified gaze, he felt his soul going through hell and back. He didn't deserve that. He had already gone through enough, and never even openly complained about his misery. It made his older sibling so furious... yet it made him feel so impotent and pathetic.

**_"That is one down. One more to go."_ **

Papyrus mentally damned everything that could possibly be damned when an ominous barrage of Gaster Blasters spawned above Error, aiming directly at him. Firing only one of his own, he was quick to get out of the way; the smoke and wind from the many explosions barely caused the blue skeleton to flinch, but his expression breaking further was more noticeable than the small movement.

It was then when Core realized he was trembling, and tears threatened to fall but never did. The battle intensified quickly, especially by Error's part; he didn't hesitate before using all of his attacks at once, and Papyrus seemed to be doing the impossible by dodging all of them with almost perfection. More than a few sharpened bones and beams had brushed against him, but nothing worrisome thus far.

Of course, if things kept going the way they were, that would soon change. Papyrus couldn't keep dodging forever.

Core was drowning in despair. They felt like they were absolutely nothing, a mere drop of water in the vast ocean; they couldn't do anything for anyone, and that thought alone broke them. They couldn't even fight back against that feeling, as it was nothing new to them and its return came in powerfully. They truly would prefer not to let their own fear consume them with Nightmare watching, but just like everybody else, they couldn't help it.

And that fear stung like a thousand knives when they oversaw Papyrus' arm tangled by strings whilst he tried to evade a chain of bones, sending him barreling towards the ground. The impact was harsh and fast, enough to almost blow as much dust into the air as the blasters did.

It was then when Blueberry actually reacted.

His eyes filled with tears when he saw Error's lifeless glare turn toward the downed skeleton, intention indecipherable until an arch of jagged bones materialized above him and aimed straight at his brother.

It became Core's turn to freeze, but everything happened so fast it was only for a moment; an eternal moment for them as their mind raced in an appalled rush of thoughts, because they were nobody to tell if Nightmare wanted any of them dead or not. Papyrus had made clear he was, by far, the strong-willed one in the group - surely that maniac would prefer him gone.

It had only been a split second, and they nearly jumped when they heard Blueberry shrieking, "NO!" right beside them, and a blur rushed past them like a white bullet.

A bone, launched thoughtlessly by none other than the blue skeleton.

Error had already raised his hand, the barrage of magic about to strike as Papyrus struggled to get up; he had definitely hurt his arm badly. And as he turned to look at his aggressor, he also looked in time to see the small, spinning bone clashing against the side of the black head, almost straight against the cracked eye. It was enough to make Error stumble to the side, showing no emotion of pain or surprise, and deflect his incoming attack.

And there was silence afterwards, only broken by Blueberry's heavy, teary breathing.

His older sibling slowly looked at him in utter disbelief; he had never thought he'd live to see the day in which his little brother attacked someone, _willingly_. Or induced by panic, specifically. And he could easily tell by the shock behind his watery blue eyes that Blueberry regretted it immediately. Not only because of fear, but because he would never bring himself to hurt someone.

 _ **"Well, wasn't that unexpected?**_ " Nightmare's amused voice pried everyone's attention, except for Error's, off the small skeleton _ **. "Seems like things keep getting interesting..."**_ He flashed a malevolent grin, and a twisted idea crossed his mind. He knew how to psychologically break the two siblings; all he needed was the young one to react the way he wanted him to.

_**"Looks like we'll need a change of plans."** _

His pupil glowed brighter for a split second, and Error slowly turned his gaze towards his attacker; Blueberry immediately shrunk, and a wave of dread shivered through his brother like a swarm.

Blueberry's mind raced in regret and terror and worry as his former friend advanced towards him wordlessly, hands loosely by his sides, dragging his feet, like some sort of mummy. He wanted to run, but he couldn't; not even when his eyes met the dangerous glower of a charging Gaster Blaster, and Core was practically shrieking behind him. _"Blue, move!"_

Had he not zoned out, he would have been drowning in guilt at hearing how distressed he had caused the human to be, but again, all he could do was stare at Error and the ominous skull floating above him like there was nothing else around him.

A barrier of white bones erupted in front of the glitch as a temporary barrier until Papyrus successful regained his bearings. His arm hurt, but it didn't feel like anything was broken. Miraculously, too, because the strings had gotten a tight hold and the rough impact against the floor could have easily made a mess out of his entire ribcage.

Error's broken blaster fired a relatively weak beam at the ground before him, disintegrating the barrier or bones, and he continued shuffling towards his brother. Papyrus growled in response, rushing towards him and stopping only when that same dragon skull whirled around to face him, maw open wide and engulfed in light. Error stood still as it fired.

Papyrus rolled out of the way, but two more blasters were suddenly in front of him as Error continued advancing. Appalled, the skeleton knew he wasn't going able to do anything if his brother didn't bring himself to cooperate.

"sans, get out of the way, NOW!"

He was nearly cut short as the two skulls fired almost simultaneously, and Papyrus hissed when he nearly lost his footing while precariously dodging the second laser. So many mixed emotions caused his eye to glow even if he wasn't given time to fight back, and more attacks kept him away from Error.

His desperate scream took Blueberry out of his trance.

He hurriedly shook his head as though he had been harshly pinched, realizing that another Gaster Blaster was aiming at him and Error was dangerously close. He stumbled back before scrambling away towards Core's panicking figure, but not getting far before the skull fired. The beam exploded just inches beside him, sending him to the ground with only miraculous burns on his bandana.

Core was pushed away by lurking strings when they tried to rush in, the same ones that entangled Papyrus' feet to prevent him from taking action. Error was still shuffling towards the smaller skeleton, not showing malice, or regret, or happiness, or enthusiasm, or _anything_ \- much unlike Nightmare, observing everything with a wide grin.

The broken skeleton had a crimson bone in his hand.

Papyrus panicked when he noticed it, and burned in rage and despair when he kept being pushed back by whatever barrage of magic Error threw at him with precision despite having his back turned to him, no matter if he tried to dodge or deflect them.

Blueberry dazedly shook his head as he pushed himself up, everything ringing after the explosion right next to him. But everything rang more when he looked up only to see Error suddenly right in front of him, hand raised and about to strike. Completely driven by burning panic that rendered him unable to feel his body, he felt his magic build up and looked away.

The explosions and screaming in the background stopped, and once again, dreadful silence ruled over the timeline.

The small skeleton was still looking away, his eyes shut so tightly they hurt. He felt like he was holding something in his hands, but he was shivering so badly he had no way of knowing if that was just his imagination or not. That was, until his eyes fluttered open when everything seemed to freeze.

He saw his gloved hands through a curtain of tears, tightly and shakily holding a white bone product of his own magic as though it were a lifeline. And when he followed its outline, his whole world sank as he realized it had pierced through Error's sternum.

Shocked, the small skeleton let go of the bone he held just as if it were venom, scrambling away with silent tears. Error was completely frozen, hand still raised. Despite the lethal injury, his expression didn't shift at all. He didn't even look at the bone embedded in his thorax.

Papyrus and Core were wordless.

Nightmare seemed honestly surprised, but mostly delighted.

 _ **"Talk about unexpected...**_ " he grinned, but nobody could take their eyes off Error. How he was still standing was a mistery. _ **"Who would have known the one pacifist in the group would actually kill someone?"**_

Slowly, the aura around Error dissipated, and he suddenly took a wobbling step back as his eyes were filled with unreadable words; the static was harsh.

After a few blinks, he finally looked down at the bone that had already taken his life. He knew. He didn't even bother trying to take it out, and instead he looked back up as he began to glitch in and out of existence. He saw Blueberry staring at him in utter disbelief, tears falling over the thought of having killed someone.

And Error grinned, voice small. _**"heh... heh heh... i knew... you had it in ya..."** _ The static around him began to increase as Nightmare turned around, and he fell to his knees. He had never considered how terrifying it was to die, but for him, it felt right. If he couldn't destroy anything without being hunted down for it, then he had no more business there. _**"hey, blue... heh... thank you..."**_

And in a mess of particles and broken dust, he was gone.

The destroyer of worlds gone along with the creator.

Neither Papyrus nor Core could even begin to understand and piece what had just happened together. Blueberry knew what he did, though. And he felt completely empty. He couldn't live with the thought of being a murderer.

 _ **"That seems like enough fun for a day, am I right? My job here is done. We'll see how quick you are to jump into heroism now."** _ Nightmare uttered a cold, heartless chuckle as pitch black smoke began to envelope him, and Papyrus glared at him with complete disdain. _ **"Well... Toodles~"**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit I bring Error back in one chapter and kill him in the next.
> 
> He won't be missed. o3o  
> Blue might have another opinion tho.


	14. Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Core suddenly lost their lopsided smile until their eyeless expression showed nothing but the horror of realization, though it went unnoticed by the others until they spoke up. "...do you not... remember what Blue said...?" Gazes aimed at them after hearing their distraught voice. "...they're watching us..."

Everything felt so cold, so off, so silent, so empty... so _wrong_.

Very few words had been spoken since Nightmare left. Nobody really felt like talking, and it wasn't like Blueberry _could_. He hadn't said anything since the incident, and he hadn't yet stopped shivering. Considering it had been more than a few hours since the psychological disaster struck, his status was a major cause for concern.

It seemed like they had gone back in time, a stressful past that wasn't even that far away, when Ink had just brought him into the Omega Timeline; silent, moping, with the only difference being that he wasn't schizophrenic.

Papyrus hadn't spoken much, either. Mostly because he didn't know what to say that could somehow set things right. Asking his brother if he was alright would go to the point of being absurdly cruel; he was _not_ alright, and he didn't need any rhetorical questions no matter how much the eldest wanted to ask ahead for whatever reason.

His mind was more scrambled than a labyrinth, so he dismissed the urge to say something by pointing out the obvious as lingering confusion. His head hurt... and his arm too. Fortunately his radius was merely cracked, nothing worrisome.

Core couldn't bring themselves to speak up despite feeling like they would be better off starting a conversation to fill up the haunting silence. They felt so empty and useless... the same way they had felt when they were forced to watch as Nightmare ripped the will to live off of all the people they had saved throughout the multiverse for so long.

Sometimes, they wondered what would have happened if the two skeletons had been caught in that too. They would still have Sci to rely on, but those two played a big role when it came to keeping their decreasing hopes up.

Until then, at least.

Blueberry had been motionlessly laying on his side for what felt like an eternity, wordless, eyes lost and half-lidded, and the only movement or sound that came from him were those occasional sighs and slow blinks. Papyrus constantly stayed near him, though giving him his space, and it hurt him to look at him.

The way the youngest had panicked once it all ended was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't stay more than five feet away from him in case something else happened to him. Perhaps it was because of the lingering nerves, but his eyesocket was still glitching. Papyrus couldn't feel sorry for the broken skeleton's death.

Dream didn't look at them at all, not even when Core checked up on him to make sure he was alright. He outright _refused_ to look at them as a matter of fact, and he looked far more serious and pensive as opposed to completely dead inside, like he was thinking his whole life through. He was in deep thought, and the human wished they could read his mind at least once. It was stressful to know that something was heavily bothering him and to have not a clue of what it could be.

"goddamnit..." Papyrus sighed exasperatedly, heavily leaning back against a hill. "it's all going to hell..."

Core took a breath in, and silently let it go as they looked away from him and into the horizon cloudy. That wave of negativity... it was still there, and it combined with all the stress made its effects stronger and utterly unavoidable. No one could get rid of that anxious tingling in their chest, and not even those two origami birds managed to get much attention out of them. The monochromatic child still appreciated the fallen artist's effort, though.

The little beings, painted in gold and blue, were partially burned; Core could only guess they had been around since Error first found that place and witnessed all hell break loose. They knew Ink had a tendency to make paper birds.

The small critters hopped and fluttered around the devastated group in hopes of cheering just one of them up, but all they took were a few glances and the rare smile when they briefly perched on someone's shoulder. Blueberry seemed to have been enjoying their company at first, but he eventually began to ignore them. He was most definitely not in the mood for company, and Core couldn't blame him for being so unnaturally taciturn.

He _had_ killed someone. Someone he once saw as a friend in need of help. And he was the only one who would refuse to kill anyone, no matter what atrocity they dared to commit against him or those he loved. He wouldn't forget that short-lived moment any time soon; there was a chance he would _never_ forget it.

Against all odds, Dream seemed to be the only one who actually enjoyed the presence of those origami birds fluttering around him to a certain extent, though that still wasn't enough to make him smile; he just tolerated their company better than the others. Core was mostly focused on the fact that he let them perch on his arms or cuddle in his lap without any protest or hesitation, despite his reluctance to be touched.

They didn't know if it was because Ink's presence was actually capable of lifting his spirits or because he had completely given up on everything, but either way, that was something new and worthy of noting.

Fidgeting nervously, Core stood up as they looked at Papyrus. They couldn't stand seeing him so emotionally pained, and if the little birds wouldn't do the trick, then they'd have to be the one to try something else. They didn't like the way he had completely lost that bullheaded spark of his, but they couldn't blame him. _"It's still too soon to give up, Papyrus… We can work something out. This will be forgotten over time, we can't lose ourselves now-"_

"core."

The monochromatic child seemed at the verge of an uplifting speech when the skeleton cut them short, and they carefully listened to whatever he had to say with such a stern yet distant tone. Judging by his lost gaze and tired, monotonous voice, though, they could tell he wasn't in the mood for any inspirational rants.

"stop."

_"Wh-"_

"just stop. leave it alone for just _once_ , okay? this is not going to be forgotten just like that. we can't just jump into anything else right now like this whole thing never happened. we all need to stop for now. dream can't move on, i can't move on, blue can't move on, and you shouldn't be so eager to move on. so just stop."

The human stared silently, not willing to believe those words. They stung like fire; Papyrus sounded truthfully _hurt_ as he spoke, and inner anger was flowing through his voice as well. They didn't know if all that negative energy around them was getting to him or if he actually meant to stain each and every word he uttered with vexation – it was a hard guess.

But his speech was screaming that he was giving up.

And they _couldn't_ give up.

_"But... we have to do something-"_

"we don't _have_ to do something, core. we've done more than enough, as a matter of fact, and that could have gotten us killed. the world may be a dumpster right now, but i appreciate our lives thank you very much. nightmare got what he wanted from us, so that's about it. we'll do something whenever sci's done with that potion thing, otherwise we have no more business trying to help anyone."

Core could only stare at him; they were unable to find the words to respond, and they heaved a lost sigh as they looked down. Blueberry intently focused on a small, charred flower in front of him as his brother spoke, and he saw it as an all too accurate representation of the themselves and the multiverse as a whole; a fragile flower, vulnerable, withering away in the hands of darkness.

"Why do anything at all…"

Even the utterly defeated blue skeleton looked up at Dream along with the other two. He was still facing away from them, arms crossed over bent knees. The blue bird, trying to reassure him with its mere company, hopped off his shoulder as a wave of despair replaced his pervious neutrality.

"It doesn't matter what you do. There's no more way around this, it's too late. All you can actually do is giving up... like I did." He gave them a sideways look; his expression was as blank as Error's had been, and Papyrus felt that urge to shudder. "You can't help anybody without risking your lives. Just accept it. You'll suffer the same fate as everyone else. He'll drive you insane. He'll stop you from ending it. And then he'll torture you until you die. Everyone is bound to end like this."

Including himself.

No, _mostly_ himself. Oh, the joys of life.

Through a defeated exhale, he closed his eyes as he rested his head over his arms, searching for a truly needed sleep without a care for what could happen to him or his mind. It didn't matter anymore. "Just let it happen. It's all over."

Core desperately wanted to shout out that such words were a lie; but they couldn't, because what Dream said was no lie at all. It was the truth they were so desperately trying to hide for their own sake. Because the more they thought about it, the clearer it became. The multiverse was small. Everything they did would eventually be known to Nightmare, and he wouldn't stop until they were deterred. If things kept going that way, they would end up dead sooner; because that was how everyone would end up after all.

But the human didn't want to believe that, not after everything they went through.

Blueberry rested his head back down as the two paper birds silently flew away, submerging back into his thoughts. They weren't the prettiest, but anything was better than real life at that point. He still couldn't get the imagery of being responsible for an unnecessary death away from him...

Papyrus and Core flinched when an eerie hiss was produced near them; Dream paid no mind to it at all, and Blueberry didn't turn to look towards its source despite having heard it. The duo was rather surprised at seeing a silvery, swirling portal opening a few feet behind them, something they had never seen before. It was most definitely not Nightmare's doing, but not knowing what it was didn't relieve them at all; the last thing they needed at that point was some stranger's visit. Papyrus didn't get up, but he was more than ready to treat whatever came out of the gap as an imminent threat while Core stepped away from it at a safer distance.

That moment of confusion and anticipation lasted a few seconds before a white-coated figure emerged from the portal, enthusiastically. Sci's eagerness as he found his bearings was as high a contrast against the general unease as his white clothing against the black grass, and he only realized he was the only one smiling when he met distressed glances.

"Hey guys, I–! ...I, uh..."

Core gave him crooked smile that was mostly forced, steering past the skeleton's happiness. They _were_ happy to see him, yes, but their emotional conflict was making it hard to show any heartfelt trait of relief or happiness. Sci looked around him, making sure he wasn't overlooking anything. "Did... d-did I miss something?"

_"…you could say that."_ Core deadpanned, and the skeleton's unnoticed cheerfulness immediately faded when he realized something was very wrong there. The surprise he had brought could wait; everyone's wellbeing was far more important.

"What happened…?"

Papyrus heaved a small sigh. "that… damn _thing_ happened."

The scientist tilted his head, and looked at Core for guidance even though he already had a slight idea of the situation; it wasn't easy to communicate with Papyrus when he was that angry, and he knew by experience. The monochromatic child took the hint, and gulped before letting the story out with hesitation. _"Nightmare came here, for_ us _this time. He wanted to manipulate our hopes, and for that he lured Error here and mind-controlled him to fight against Papyrus and Blue."_

Sci blinked at the mere mention of Error.

_"Long story short... a dangerous fight ensued, and Nightmare made Blueberry kill Error in self-defense. From that point on, everything went south as you can see. Dream and Blue had a panic attack during and after the ordeal and Papyrus isn't in the best of conditions, so... all harm is psychological. That doesn't make it any less grave, though."_

"Jeez..." the coated skeleton muttered. "A lot can happen in a day or so..."

He gazed at the scenery around him, somewhat marveling at those living paper birds that had stopped chirping and merely flew in a circle way above them, watched by a disappointed Core. Sci was consumed by a feeling of despair when he saw just how broken the other three skeletons were.

It was a good thing he was on his way to solve it.

"Well, now seems like a bad moment to say this, but, uh... I'm... kind of done with the potion Abu gave me." Core's gaze snapped at him like that of a haunted doll's, and he wouldn't lie – it _was_ somewhat creepy, the way they were immediately staring at him with wide, empty eyes. "Done as in... it sort of works."

Papyrus looked up at him as well with almost the same amount of surprise as the human, though the other two remained silent and distant. Blueberry seemed to be listening, though.

_"It... does?"_ Core nearly whispered, unable to believe the miracle they had just heard. Sci gave them a small smile; it wasn't precisely easy to show true joy when everyone's hopes had been literally crushed.

The scientist fished a small syringe from his pocket, filled with a sparkling golden substance. "Yeah. For now, at least."

"what do you mean 'for now'?" Papyrus inquired, slightly frowning as his eyes aimed intently at the syringe as though it were a treasure of unspeakable value.

"That's pretty much the reason I came here. It works, but to a certain extent. I managed to test it out on Underfell's Toriel; all the humans were too skittish, any Sans I came across hated my nonexistent guts, and similar stuff, so I didn't, and _don't_ , have many more choices. Basically... I can tell it does work, but we might be missing something. A few minutes after taking the serum, Toriel seemed somewhat dazed. She stopped pacing and talking to herself like she's been doing for the past few days, and it was as if she was trying hard to remember something."

Sci shifted lightly as the only two listening looked at him expectantly. "Honestly, the Omega Timeline is not a place I find safe anymore... I may know how to somehow strengthen the injection's effects, but I'd feel better if there was someone with me. Not only to make sure no one is trying to attack, but also to maybe play a role in the memory lane. I'm pretty sure memories are a crucial factor for this to work, if Toriel pondering so deeply tells me anything."

_"T-that's... that is fantastic..."_ Core intoned, completely at a loss of words. They seemed about to faint, and their utterly shocked expression didn't go past the scientist who tilted his head at the human.

"Are you okay...? It's like you've seen a ghost–"

_"Do you realize what this is?"_ the monochromatic child suddenly beamed, becoming the exact opposite of what they had been a moment ago and successfully throwing Sci off guard. It was like they were staring at a miracle – a miraculous miracle. _"I thought_ – _I was sure it would take you longer to finish this! Now– if this works, we'll be saved!"_

Sci blinked a few times, before finally uttering a small laugh at the sudden explosion of happiness. "Heh, yeah… We might or might now have a long way to go from now on, but we're getting there…"

Papyrus stood up, receiving a beaming smile from the colorless human that he didn't give back. He was mostly focused on the syringe held by skeletal fingers. "…would that work on us too?" he asked quietly, voice nearly wavering with desperation. His tone was almost heartbreaking, and Sci made a face as he shifted nervously once again.

"It… shouldn't." he confessed, looking down. "I went to Dreamtale whilst working on it to get some background on what it can and can't do, and apparently this is supposed to be stronger than you'd think. It's not used to spark people's hopes up and nothing more. It's used to bring the meaning of life back to whoever takes it, to mend broken souls. We could try, but… it's not likely to do anything to you."

Sci noted Papyrus' hopeless expression as the tall skeleton heaved a defeated sigh, and muttered a quiet, "Sorry..."

Papyrus stuffed his hands in his pockets, turning away. "nah, it's alright... it's not your fault." Despaired eyes of black widened slightly when he noticed his brother had sat up. He wasn't looking at them, but the mere fact that he had brought himself to move was a reason to celebrate.

"bro...?"

"...WE SHOULD GO."

Tired blue eyes slowly looked up at the group. Blueberry couldn't even fake a smile, and Core's joy was quick to disappear as they met a deeply hurt gaze. "IT'D BE BETTER IF WE'RE ALL THERE TO HELP... THERE'S NOTHING ELSE WE CAN DO HERE..."

There was a small moment of silence, and Sci looked at the other two in search for agreement by their part. "Are you sure you all want to go?" He glanced behind then, worriedly, "I mostly ask for him..." Eyes followed his gaze, planted on Dream. He had already fallen asleep.

It was Core's turn to glance at the others. They could go to the Omega Timeline with him without overthinking it too much, despite the memories that would surely haunt them again, but the skeletal siblings' choice wasn't as easy. Papyrus wouldn't be able to stand being away from his brother; if it wasn't the two of them, it would be none of them.

Seeing as Blueberry was willing to go there, Papyrus didn't show signs of hesitation. He didn't have any trouble going, anyway. "if we're all together, it should be fine, and it's not like we'll be there for long. besides... i doubt that lunatic will come if we're not directly helping dream."

_Speaking of._

Core suddenly lost their lopsided smile until their eyeless expression showed nothing but the horror of realization, though it went unnoticed by the others until they spoke up. _"...do you not... remember what Blue said...?"_ Gazes aimed at them after hearing their distraught voice. _"...they're watching us..."_

Mistake.

Remembrance shot across them, and Sci protectively hid the small syringe back into his pocket while Papyrus looked around them with sudden hostility. There was nothing to be seen, but that didn't mean there was nobody there. It wasn't precisely easy to see any black figure in such a dark environment.

No sound, no nothing.

Papyrus slowly stepped back, eyes cautiously narrowed. "...let's just go before they... _whoever's_ watching gets more information, if any."

They couldn't see anything but black grass, and some doors, and a few hills, and the silent sky. But from afar, on top of one of those terrain elevations and hidden from attentive eyes, two black figures observed the group as they disappeared through a randomly chosen door at a fast pace.

_**"oh, you guys never change..."** _

40 hopped to his feet like a spring behind 82, successfully making him jolt at the sudden movement. _**"ah-ha! called it! these fools really can't keep a secret, can they?"**_ All too jolly, the tall skeleton strode down the hill with a hateful laugh. _ **"come on, this is about enough to go back. oh, they're in for a surprise~"**_

40 went quiet and frowned when he turned around, seeing 82 motionless on top of the hill. _**"hey, earth to 82, we've gotta go!"**_

The other specter still didn't move, staring at the spot where the group had stood a few moments ago. Specifically, he stared at the slumbering yellow dot in the distance, and he was getting that strange feeling again. Oh, how much he hated it... especially since it was much stronger that time.

He nearly jumped when a hand was briefly placed on his shoulder. _**"what? getting all chummy again?"**_ his companion teased, smirking widely.

_**"oh please."**_ 82 retorted in annoyance, crossing his arms and looking away. 40 was quick to note the hesitation he spoke with and that unsure waver, and smirked even further with an impish laugh.

_**"knew it."** _

_**"what."** _

_**"you** _ **are** _**a softie."** _

40 burst out laughing before getting a confirmation that would prove his statement, but the look his comrade gave him was enough to prove him right. 82 looked back at the horizon with an irate sigh, trying to drown out the laughter in the background.

So it _was_ true. He was that so-called softie. He wasn't going to deny it just because it was downgrading.

In all honesty, he _did_ feel bad for them, but he didn't know _why_. Not bad as in wanting to rush in to help like they were his friends, just bad in a bystander point. Unlike everyone else, he didn't want to smile at the sight of that boldly courageous group of determined friends crumbling, nor did he enjoy how much unfair torture Dream was enduring. That wasn't the type of stuff that made him happy.

He hated to be the one to ruin their plans.

But there was nothing he could do about it. It was what he had been commanded to do. Feelings didn't matter.

_**"forget it, let's go."** _

40 was rather taken aback when 82 even left before he did, and he followed with indignation.

* * *

_Where was everyone?_

_...not that it mattered._

_Dream stood up, and only just realized he was practically drowning in silence. It was like there was nothing around him, yet there was. At least there was no one with him. That was always appreciated. It was nice being able to contemplate his surroundings without having to stand his mourning, so-called friends. Just him, and the sky, and the grass, and that approaching mass of darkness..._

_. . .oh._

_Dream found himself backing away in concerned confusion as the ominous blackness consumed the entire timeline not even that far away from him, spreading like smoke, and he nearly jumped back when he saw it devour the ground beneath his feet._

_His only thought was to run._

_Run and don't look back._

_And so he did, knowing a gargantuan mass of darkness was threatening to take him. What would happened if it reached him wasn't something he wanted to know, but it seemed to be circling him, and he looked back in terror when it felt like that black substance was dangerously gaining on him._

_He felt something coil around his leg, tripping him._

_It was all it took for him to be completely surrounded by darkness._

_He pushed himself up, shaking his head, and all he saw was black. Not a single speck of any other color, aside from himself. He scrambled to his feet._

_That void was terrifyingly familiar, especially with that baleful chuckle in the background._

_He froze. He froze thinking he would have to go through hell again, and he damned the moment he decided letting himself fall asleep was even remotely a good idea. The pain would return, the dread would return... who knew how long it would go on for..._

_Something in the darkness moved, but Dream only realized that movement wasn't ahead or next to him but around him when his arms were pinned to his sides as something cold coiled around his ribcage and pulled him back at vertiginous speed._

_He barely acknowledged he had closed his eyes, and was face to face with an ominous blue glare when he opened them. The shock and confusion of the moment made him try to pull himself away, but he was kept motionless by the tautness of the coils straining him._

**_"Did you miss me?"_ **

_Before he had any time to react, he saw the silhouette of two more tentacles rushing straight towards his skull, and his own scream was the last thing he heard._

* * *

He screamed the same way when he jolted out of his sleep, promptly realizing he wasn't in a dark void nor about to die; the latter was a disappointment. With heavy, despaired breaths, he heavily leaned against the hill, relishing the sudden peacefulness. The only thing that had been true was that he was alone. Despite shuddering, he felt at ease. Those nosy monsters would've been all around him by then.

There had to be something wrong, though. Nightmares that psychologically harmful could only be provoked by certain someone.

But he didn't care. He wished that specific one had been real, then he would be finally dead... he still had a long way to go before that happened. A long way full of sadness and agony.

_"Hello~"_

He looked up, eyes inquisitive.

...silence.

He had never heard that voice. Or... had he? It sounded oddly familiar, but at the same time it didn't. It was definitely none of his friends', mainly because it almost sounded like a small echo. Ghost-like. He had a hopeful thought for a moment, but it was definitely not Ink.

_"Over here~"_

The sound came from the small patch of doors, and Dream could've sworn he saw a small, dark figure rush through them and out of sight at the same time the voice giggled mischievously, telling him they were linked.

He stood up without thinking.

For some reason, he was... really drawn towards that voice.

He slowly and quietly approached the doors. He didn't really know what he was doing, but it almost feel like instinct - like he _had_ to follow whoever that was, despite feeling inner hesitation.

_"I'm right here~"_

The voice was suddenly behind him, and turning around granted him sight of that same figure hiding behind a small hillock as though they were playing hide-and-seek. Dream was sure he saw the sparkle of two purple eyes for a second.

Again he followed the silhouette, still unsure about it all but unable to just ignore it. He should have been questioning himself at that point, but that was just not on his mind as he peeked around the hill-

Only to find nothing.

He was almost disappointed, but he merely frowned.

_"Shh, too late... See you soon~"_

He turned around, but as expected, there was nothing, and the voice's existence became null. Dream didn't hesitate before questioning his sanity as he stared at the general direction of that voice. Too late for what? Perhaps he really was going crazy. Why would he be so bent on following something that didn't even feel real? It didn't make sense to him, but then again, he was turning into a freak. He should expect himself to start talking to the rain whenever Ink felt like coming back.

With a strangely disappointed sigh, Dream began to walk back to wherever he took himself. It didn't really matter anymore, he was on his own.

Except, there was a melting figure right in front of him when he turned around, and he let out a shocked scream as he fell back, much to the ominous skeleton's delight.

_**"Oh, I'm sorry, did I scare you?"** _

Steering past the sheer terror, Dream stumbled to his feet and backed away. Every inch of him was begging him to run, but he held his ground. Running was what Nightmare wanted him to do. Besides, he hadn't done anything. There was no reason for his brother to be after him.

_...right?_

"W-what d-do you want...?" He tried to sound defiant, but he couldn't stop shivering. He knew he shouldn't. He should've seen his whole situation coming from a mile away.

But he just couldn't not be afraid.

_**"I don't really**_ **want** _ **anything."** _ Nightmare calmly stated, walking past his brother; grey eyes never ceased following him. The two little birds, still pacing around, flew away immediately as the melting skeleton stopped a few feet beside them, watching them scramble out of sight through the air. _**"I just felt like I should let you know... A little birdie told me your friends were planning something I don't like at all."**_

Dream's expression shifted to one of distress. His brother relished that look of realization.

_**"Apparently, they got hold of some very certain... power, and they plan on using it on you. Which, of course, is** **something I simply cannot allow."**_

The caped skeleton felt an icy chill down his spine when several giggles he remembered really well echoed behind him, and his pupils shrunk when he saw many specters circling him.

And they were all around him, wielding swords. 

"I- I h-had nothing to do with that!" Dream desperately exclaimed, knowing those Papyruses weren't just there for intimidation.

_**"I know you didn't."**_ Nightmare grinned. _**"That's why I need you out of their way, because they'll be undeterred once they are done. But taking you away now would make things rather difficult at this point... I would prefer if you were completely broken by the time my patience reaches its limit, and this is a perfect chance to do so."**_

Dozens of skeletons closed up on him as Dream cowered. There was no way out of there, and Nightmare was crazy if he thought he was going to survive that. 

_**"Well... What are you waiting for?"** _

The many specters laughed at his indirect order to attack. 1 was the first to lunge, and the rest were quick to follow.

Nobody was there to hear the bloodcurdling screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just know next chapter is gonna make me cry. I know what's gonna happen and just thinking about it wrenches my heart. Oh boy. ;-;


	15. Close, But Far Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His ticket out of that miserable life was right there, right in front of him, welcoming him. All he had to do was cross that door and let it happen. All he had to do was muster enough strength to stand up just one more time and end his suffering once and for all. No more pain, no more fear, no more sadness, ever; it would all be over.

Pain.

So much pain.

Too much pain.

Dream couldn't even move despite everything being finally over after so many interminable, torturous minutes that felt like hours; all he could do was heave small, hitched breaths through broken ribs and unsuccessfully deal with the vicious pain all over him. He felt like he was going to pass out.

Speaking of, Nightmare hadn’t ordered the specters to stop not even when he began bleeding – something that only happened to skeletons when they were at the brink of death, and desperation drove him to feign unconsciousness. He almost regretted it, because it wasn't precisely easy to hold still with so many broken bones while practically choking on blood. It was bad enough that Nightmare hadn’t been entirely buying it, deliberately holding him by his broken arm to get a reaction that would blow his cover.

It took Dream the unspoken not to even flinch and keep his anguished act going, but he wasn’t able to even feel relief when they all eventually fell for it and left him agonizing on his own with hateful grins on their faces. He actually nearly passed out when he tried to look up and make sure the coast was clear soon afterwards.

There was only one thing, one thought urging him on.

_End it._

He tried to push himself up, but with one broken left arm and one snapped right ulna, the thought alone of such thing was impossible, and surely enough, he instantly fell back down as his arms felt like they had caught on fire.

_End it._

The world spun, and deformed itself, and oscillated, but that didn't stop Dream from spotting the doors up ahead in a mess of swirling colors. Surely there still had to be _one_ hazardous universe out there, right? He tried to stand up, but to no avail. His femur was even more broken than it already was, so painfully crawling would have to do.

_End it._

His wounds began to burn even with only that slight movement. The many cuts and cracks all over him stung as if they were leaking venom, his ribs felt like they would pierce through him at any moment, his devastated femur strained his leg, but he had to keep going. He coughed up blood, almost thinking his ribcage had practically burst, but he didn't stop.

_End it end it end it end it END IT._

He painfully crawled towards the multicolored blob up ahead; it was his light at the end of the seemingly endless tunnel. He knew he couldn't stay there anymore, no matter what. When the others came back and saw him in such a pitiful state, they wouldn't be able to contain their urge to help him even if they knew what would happen. He couldn't take it anymore. It had to _stop_.

But it wasn’t as easy.

Agony and exhaustion caused him to keel over once he reached the doors, gasping for breath as blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. Tears filled his eyes and rolled down his scarred cheekbones as he suddenly lost all of his strength, and he was barely able to even look up; he was too lightheaded to focus on anything.

A blue blob stood in front of him, he could see it from the corner of his eye. Through a curtain of treacherous pain, he managed to lift his head just enough to have a better look at it, and he couldn’t stop his eyes from widening. A blue door, decorated by white, like… waves…

A land filled with sea.

Undersail.

_Water._

_A hazard._

His ticket out of that miserable life was right there, right in front of him, welcoming him. All he had to do was cross that door and let it happen. All he had to do was muster enough strength to stand up just one more time and end his suffering once and for all. No more pain, no more fear, no more sadness, _ever_ ; it would all be over.

It would have been easier to finally let the abyss take him at that point, but Nightmare wasn’t stupid; a few of his minions had stayed there, guarding the profound canyon in case Dream got any ideas whenever he regained his ‘lost consciousness.’ But he had a safer bet right before his watery eyes. There was still a chance that the abyss led to nowhere or wasn’t even deep enough, after all. The vast ocean would do a better job at erasing him from the multiverse.

He heavily placed an arm on the door frame, feeling like he was being stabbed by a thousand needles as he managed to get to his knees. It was strange… those doors were supposed to open automatically whenever someone was near them, but it remained cruelly closed.

The cold breeze told him why.

Ink knew.

Dream tried to speak to him somehow, to make him forget it, regardless of the fallen artist being able to hear him or not, but he wasn’t able to utter a single word before he realized his voice was lost and replaced by violent, bloody coughs. He slumped against the static door in distress, regaining his broken breath despite his ribcage aching.

Tears were still welling in his eyes, falling down like drops of gold as he whimpered.

It hurt so much… but he couldn’t give up. He could get rid of that pain forever. He could save what was left of the multiverse from utter chaos and desolation, even if that wasn’t his goal at all. At least he would have a chance to actually be useful for just once in his life…

The breeze was still waving his torn cape. It was cold, but almost seemed hesitant. Dream didn’t show much hesitation as he gripped the doorframe with all the little strength he had left, managing to stand up but not without nearly losing his balance as he winced. He couldn’t put any weight on that broken femur anymore.

Lightly fumbling with the door, he finally managed to push it open, revealing the swirling portal that would lead him to a better place. He completely ignored the frozen wind trying to somehow stop him from taking one single step forth, but he did shiver.

Painfully limping, he went through the gap.

The timeline went silent.

* * *

 Just a few minutes later, sound made its way into the Doodle Sphere again; strangely and against all odds, it was the sound of joy beaming from three skeletons who had found a reason to forget the heavy weights on their backs. Sci and the two brothers walked towards their usual spot, speaking with true relief.

It had all gone just as planned, mostly.

Whenever Core would visit their devastated timeline, Underfell’s twitchy Toriel would always be found talking nonsense to herself or straight up hissing at whoever walked past her like a snake, sometimes bringing fire into the threats. When they all found her that time, though, she innocently tilted her head, truthfully confused.

Following Sci’s idea about the memories, Papyrus tried to remind her of what they all had accomplished together not that long ago, aiding in the fight against Error. He half-expected her to either ignore him or become hostile, but she actually seemed to want to remember something that wasn’t quite going through her mind. It was Blueberry that managed to get that same universe’s Frisk and Flowey near her meanwhile; not an easy task, distrustful and skittish as the unlikely duo had become, but the results had been worth everything.

As soon as the goat monster’s eyes came in contact with the confused human’s, something in her expression changed drastically. It was a puzzled mix of realization, surprise and the smallest hint of heartfelt bliss, and the both of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Toriel began to ramble on about her memories with a voice filled with joy and fear.

Much like everyone else’s, her eyes had been dark and lifeless since the incident; when remembrance struck, one of them regained that usual golden tint, and the redness of her pupil returned along with it. It wasn’t a menacing shade of red like it had always been, but almost warm, like a gentle, mellow flame.  It was too bad the child had no idea what was going on and kept walking away from their self-proclaimed mother, but it was her reaction what counted.  

She had regained half of her emotions, triggered by a strong memory of hers; she had half a soul, according to the scientist’s way to explain it. Sci wasn’t able to test it out on anyone else just in case despite his enthusiasm, but he was quick to realize that the serum definitely worked and wasted no time before heading back to the Doodle Sphere. Core stayed behind, though, but mostly because they wanted to help Toriel be who she actually was again while they had the chance.

And there they were, sharing ideas and hopeful thoughts that they certainly missed. For once, Blueberry was smiling. It was a small smile, but it was still there, and it wasn’t a fake one. It was all Papyrus needed to show a smile of his own, and he did nothing but cheer his brother on throughout the way. The short way, too; some more good news was that Sci had been working on a ‘portal watch’, as he called it, too. A small bracelet that let him create a portal to wherever he wished to go – the same one he used to get into the Doodle Sphere. He had figured it would be nice to have it in case they couldn’t use the doors for whatever reason.  

“Still can’t believe this actually works… hah!” Sci cheerfully commented, holding the miraculous syringe close. It almost seemed like being close to it filled them with hope. It wasn’t a farfetched guess, having in mind that it was made out of the main source of happiness in the multiverse, so they played along.

“so… this is practically over, right?” the taller skeleton asked, hopeful and expectant. Dream was the embodiment of all positive energy; with what would be equal to a soul back, everyone else should be able to regain their feelings with more ease. Their emotions had been so easy to manipulate because of that.

“I mean… We shouldn’t jump into conclusions, but most likely,” the scientist smiled. “Once Dream regains his feelings, everything should shift back into place eventually, but we’ll still need to intervene. I’ve been thinking… once we start helping everyone out, we should take them to my timeline until they’re completely alright. Nightmare has never found it thus far, so it should be safe enough.”

Papyrus hummed in approval, briefly looking around him. “so i guess our spy friends don’t really matter anymore, right? if they don’t know where we are…”

“I’m not all that worried about those.” Sci shrugged, though he was a little skeptical. He was so overjoyed about the injection that he again forgot the fact that they were being watched, but surprise didn’t strike him. Sure, maybe they knew where they would go… but they didn’t know where that place was, so they could be easily tricked. “But let’s hurry just in case. If they’re watching, they could try to stop us.”

As they walked into the timeline, looking around for certain skeleton, Blueberry couldn’t help but notice something that stood out among the dark, waving grass, and he stopped as his curiosity took the best of him. For a delightful moment, he thought those flowers had returned, in a red tint as opposed to multicolored, but his soul sank when he realized what he actually saw was nowhere near as pretty.

Papyrus frowned when he didn’t see his brother by his side, and turned around to see him staring in dread at something he hadn’t yet noticed. “bro…? you okay?”

“…L-L-LOOK…”

The other two skeletons followed his horrified gaze, expecting the worst despite their heightened hopes, only for their own eyes to shrink as well at the sight that lied in front of them; Sci jumped back.

Blood. Blood splayed through the scrabbled ground and shredded grass, signs of a clear struggle.

Papyrus lifted his horrified gaze; the red liquid left an inconsistent trail towards the doors, and he felt numb and sick at imagining what could’ve happened. It didn’t help that a strong wind suddenly flew past them as they all sank into realization, and a loose page was violently blown towards the field of portals.

The group wasted no time before following the clear sign of danger, not a word uttered, stopping as the piece of paper collided against the door to Undersail. It opened hastily, almost as if it were urging them to literally jump through. The wind got stronger, almost able to push them forth, and Papyrus was the first to dive through the gap with the other two following closely behind.

They ended up in a rocky beach, black pebbles where there would normally be sand and a sky as cloudy as the Doodle Sphere’s. Gentle waves collided against the shore, and normally, that would have been a peaceful sight was there not a blood trail on those black stones.

“There!” Sci uneasily exclaimed, voice almost breaking, pointing at a small cliff a few meters away from where they stood. A turquoise figure stood on the ledge, a torn cape waving in the breeze. Horror struck.

“no…” Papyrus whispered in a wave of sickening realization as to what was happening. “no, no, no, no!” He desperately rushed towards the cliff, Sci and his brother quickly following him; the latter nearly losing his footing as he breathed heavily in anxiety.

It was a strike of luck that it wasn’t a steep or rocky cliff that would hinder their race against time, and they made their way up in only a few seconds. Needless to say, they were utterly horrified at Dream’s dismaying condition. He was shaking like a leaf, and it was not because of the cold. He was limping heavily, swaying ever so slightly; tiny drops of blood still trickled down his arm and mouth, and all visible bones were covered in cracks, cuts and scrapes. Most of his clothing was torn, especially his cape.

He was simply saddening.

Papyrus stopped, finding himself at a lack of words. Sure, he could cheer his brother on, he partially knew how to deal with panic attacks, and he knew how to act around anxious people… but he didn’t know how to stop someone from committing suicide. Neither did Sci, but Blueberry was the one to take a couple of trembling steps forth. Dream looked at them ever so slightly, uninterested, and the mere sight of him caused tears to flood the blue skeleton’s eyes.

Blueberry needed to take a few shaky breaths in before saying anything. “DREAM, PLEASE… DON’T… DON’T DO THIS…” He sobbed. He couldn’t stand watching the lifelessness radiating from Dream’s only visible eye. “WE… WE CAN HELP YOU… WE CAN… W-WE CAN FIX THIS, OKAY…? PLEASE, JUST… J-JUST STEP AWAY FROM THE CLIFF. NOTHING MORE WILL HAPPEN… I… I PROMISE…”

The other two held on to the minuscule hope they had left, and tried not to let go of it. Dream seemed to be listening… but that was only for a moment, and that minuscule hope shattered in a million pieces that would be forever lost when he slowly turned his lost gaze back to the sea below him. A wave crashed against the cliff below.

The only thing Dream found saddening was that there were no rocks at the bottom.

Forcibly drowning would have to do…

Blueberry felt something akin to a strong static shock in his chest, in his anguished soul when the despaired gaze took its attention off of him, and he knew he was losing him. “N-NO… NO, COME ON, PLEASE… I KNOW… I KNOW IT MUST HURT, I- WE KNOW YOU’RE AFRAID, BUT… WE _CARE_ ABOUT YOU… WE DON’T WANT YOU TO DIE LIKE THIS…”

“…but I do…”

The small skeleton snapped his teary gaze up in disheartenment. Dream’s voice was so broken and fatigued, sounding as pitiful as he was. He looked back at them again, ever so slightly, still without any emotion, but they could see it in his eye…

…he had given up.

He exhaled a silent breath through gritted teeth, letting go of everything and anything that could possibly stop him and weigh him down, and he closed his eyes for a moment as Blueberry tried to walk towards him, saying something he couldn’t hear through the mesmerizing sound of the waves and his own entanglement of thoughts…

…he let himself fall.

_“NO!”_

Blueberry rushed in at the speed of light, tears of cyan cascading down his eyes; Papyrus had to hold him tightly or he would’ve thoughtlessly jumped after the caped skeleton, and he even tried to get out of his brother’s mild but firm grasp as he screamed and bawled and had a pitiful meltdown, forcing tears out of the older one too. Sci followed them, eyes drenched in despair, at the verge of hyperventilating and straight up having a heart attack.

Dream plunged into the freezing water, a painful wave of icy chills shooting through him. Every sound was muffled, but he could still hear the screaming above; he shut his eyes tighter as he forced himself to breathe, and the water felt as painful as those many swords piercing through him. His ribcage burned in every sense of way, and he fought against his subconscious struggle to stop breathing and swim.

He wished there had been rocks on the way down… he would have lost consciousness by the time he hit the water, and it all would’ve been easier. Trying not to fight against a surprisingly agonizing death wasn’t as easy and quick as he thought it would be, but the thought of his suffering finally coming to an end allowed him to let it happen.

He coughed unwittingly; one last sharp, silent breath coming from him, muffled by bubbles as the skeleton promptly lost consciousness and slowly sank deeper, and deeper. . .

At the bottom of that vast ocean, the capricorn that was there known as Toriel tended her anemones in company of the young human diver she had rescued some time ago, both having fun and laughing and sharing a family bond like everything was alright with the world.

The human’s expression quickly changed to a surprised one, as they silently pointed upwards; their adoptive mother followed the direction of their arm, and a silent gasp escaped from her fanged mouth as she saw the small figure slowly sinking to the bottom, motionless. The mythical creature wasted no time before whirling around and swimming towards it, the diver following close behind.

Toriel took the unconscious skeleton in her arms with great care, one arm supporting his back and the other carrying his legs. Her face was the personification of concern as she gave Dream one brief look before hastily heading to the surface, leaving a trail of bubbles behind her.

In high contrast against the quietness underwater, the surface was absolute and utter chaos. Blueberry rushed off the cliff, still crying his eyes out as he almost stumbled off without a care for his own safety. He couldn’t – he could _not_ stand the thought of witnessing another unfair death. He ran into the water, stopping until the interminable liquid reached his chest. He hoped and prayed to see any signs of life, but there was nothing.

Papyrus and Sci stopped at the shore, the waves bathing their feet and their faces screaming anguish.

…they knew they had been too late, and the sound of the young skeleton mourning only powered that feeling deep in their souls, as though they were shattering.

And yet, something in the water stirred. The scientist quickly noted it, and snapped his gaze up.

Bubbles.

Before he could notify the other two of such a heartening sight, white and purple emerged from the water, gracefully yet hurriedly; everyone stopped moving, frozen, upon seeing what the distressed capricorn held in her arms.

The skeleton they all thought had died before their very eyes.

The goat monster slowly swam towards the shore, Frisk following closely as they removed the water bubble from their head. Utterly shocked, Blueberry stepped back as Toriel advanced towards him, and she stopped once the water was too shallow for her; with great care, the human’s arms held Dream by his armpits and gingerly dragged him out of the water. Sci couldn’t help covering his mouth; what he was witnessing could only be a miracle.

There was a fraught silence before they all ran to the human’s side as they gently set the skeleton down, and immediately knew they hadn’t been too late when Dream promptly began gasping for breath and coughing. They let him turn over as he wheezed, staying by his side and trying to reassure him.

It was like he had come back from the dead. That thought alone didn’t let Blueberry stop his tears.

Toriel stayed close, watching the situation unfold with genuine worry written all over her, as so did Frisk. While they didn’t exactly know what was happening, they knew it was serious, especially because of the variety of multiversal people all in one place.

Dream’s breathing finally seemed to ease after a torturous wait, mellowing into slow, trembling inhales and exhales. His arms shook, and his eyes barely fluttered open in understandable confusion. The others didn’t say anything. They had to let him take his time to recover from nearly dying.

His eyes finally focused after several dazed blinks, staying half open. He barely frowned at the black pebbles beneath him, completely confused. He clearly remembered he _had_ been in the water… Why was he on land…?

His frown became more notable as he, shivering, lightly looked to his side. The water was just a few feet away from him, teasing him, and he was safely on the shore, surrounded by many highly distraught monsters that were looking at him with way too much pity for his own liking.

He was alive…

…why was he _alive_ …?

_Why had they rescued him?!_

His breath suddenly broke and picked up speed as his pupils shrunk in realization, and before he became aware of his own actions, he tried to shoot back into the water until Papyrus reflexively restrained him. Unlike Blueberry just a moment ago, merely crying as he held him, Dream violently struggled and writhed and screamed, but to no avail.

“NO! _NO!_ LET ME DIE! _JUST LET ME DIE!”_

Given how weak and wounded he was, he wasn’t actually putting up that much of a fight despite it looking like so; it was more heartbreaking than anything for Papyrus to keep him from trying to kill himself again.

It wasn’t until a grey smoke began to envelope his chest that Papyrus actually got concerned.

_“LET GO OF ME!”_

Suddenly, a mere chain of fog around the caped skeleton _burned_ the other, enough to make him audibly wince. “guys– guys, hold him!” Sci and Blueberry immediately ran to his side, seeing as Dream was almost freeing himself. “careful with that smoke thing, it actually hurts!”

Not even a minute after they tried to keep him still, Dream began to give up from fear and exhaustion, clenched eyes welling with tears. The smoke still hadn’t disappeared, though. It was almost like a repellant, causing an uneasy feeling deep in their souls that was hard to stay close to.

“DREAM, PLEASE… CALM DOWN…” Blueberry begged quietly, though the other skeleton was still trying to get away. So many people, so close to him, holding him– he couldn’t _stand it_ …!

“No… No, stay _AWAY FROM ME!_ ”

In one last fit of desperation, Dream actually managed to push Papyrus and Sci away, clearly hurting himself in the process but not fully showing it; the smoke rose for a moment and felt like powerful venom all over them, but Blueberry was undeterred and his inner kindness, and empathy, and worry, took over him and he lunged at the overwrought skeleton – pulling him into an embrace.

Dream froze, whilst Blueberry tried with little success to stop himself from bawling.

“STOP… JUST STOP… WE _CARE…_ WE CARE ABOUT YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE… YOU DON’T DESERVE TO DIE… YOU _WON’T_ … WE’LL FIX THIS… WE’LL FIX YOU EVEN IF WE CAN’T FIX OURSELVES…”

Dream heaved erratic breaths of shock and disbelief. The blue skeleton steered right past that fog’s painful effects, until it finally vanished into nothing much to everyone’s surprise.

Grey pupils were pinprick-sized, eyesockets completely wide.

Why did having someone that close to him, crying pathetically…

…feel so nice…?  

He briefly glanced at Blueberry, not intent on letting go anytime soon and hugging him like he was the dearest friend he had in the entire world. He didn’t know why he began crying too. He didn’t know why he couldn’t understand anything anymore. He didn’t know why he wasn’t fighting out of the pitiful embrace.

He didn’t know why he hugged that skeleton back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, this was as painful to write as I thought it would be. Aaaaaaa- ;-;  
> So I did shed a little tear while writing this... Don't judge me.


	16. Back to Your Roots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why would his mother and his brother trigger such a powerful mem–
> 
> . . . what?
> 
> Why was the room spinning? Why did he feel so numb? Why was the headache back? Why did his chest tingle? Why couldn't he think clearly? Why– what was he... remembering...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh I've been so long without updating. ;-; My retarded computer died, and I really am not a fan of writing on the phone, especially if it's a long chapter. Well, life is alright now so let's continue. ^-^
> 
> This chapter had been planned to be longer, but I don't like having chapters much longer than this so I had to split it in half. Ah, you can never have too many cliffhangers. :D And there are probably going to be a lot from this point on, so, heh~

What happened after that fateful day truly was something.

Whilst Core hadn't actually managed to help Toriel fully become herself, they knew they took her one step closer to her true being with time and patience. They felt useful for once in what felt like an eternity, and it was a gratifying sensation that they couldn't get enough of. They even managed to get Frisk to trust their adoptive mother without their emotions; it was a very small hint of trust, but at least they stopped running away from her. Most of the time, that was. Still, it was something Core could live with.

Joyous, the monochromatic child had decided to give Dreamtale a short visit and inform the village that the potion was definitely functional to a certain extent and that Dream was likely to recover in not long from then. They were as happy as those who listened to them were while they spoke, but Core hadn't expected to see their friends enter the timeline halfway through their speech, drenched in a worrying amount of concern that killed the mood in an instant.

The sight of the scarred, unconscious skeleton in Papyrus' arms took everyone's smiles away.

Dream had collapsed before they left Undersail, and unknowing of how lethal his wounds were, Sci knew they  _had_  to help him no matter the consequences; Papyrus didn't hesitate before begging the scientist to take them to Dreamtale, because he knew the only help they could get would surely be there. They, too, were surprised at seeing Core there, but somewhat relieved since they wouldn't have to individually find them and break the news to them while they eagerly tended their own timeline, oblivious to the disaster. It would have been a worse hit that way.

Abu urged them to follow him after Papyrus asked for help once the small moment of shock went past, heading towards the far end of the village with Arel and Shenshe going with them as the rest of the village looked on in empathy and despair; their gazes were saddening, and hard to make eye contact with.

They arrived at some sort of spacious hut, the entrance doorless and with only a wooden chain curtain of varying shapes. The inside was well illuminated by powerful candles, probably fueled by magic, and a single, rusty chandelier. It looked like some sort of very ancient hospital with all those potions decorating the three worn down shelves, but judging by the situation, it most likely was. There was a trio of beds against the wall, enveloped by white velvet sheets and nothing else; Papyrus was asked to set Dream down on one of them, and he did so as though he were handling porcelain. How Dream had even managed to move with so many broken bones was still beyond him.

And the moment to explain arrived soon after. Needless to say, everyone was horrified.

Abu promised from the bottom of his heart that he would try his best to heal the little guardian, but he was in a pitiful state and completely unresponsive; after two slow days without any reaction from him, Sci could decisively but regretfully state that he was in a coma and his life could be precarious. Why Nightmare would risk harming him that badly was beyond them, too.

Then, those two days became three. And those three became four. And four became a week.

The healing process was doing well, nevertheless; every broken bone had been fixed while only those many scars remained, unfixable, and every rip in his clothing had been stitched back together, though there wasn't much that could have been done for the torn cape. However, Dream still hadn't woken up, and there was no movement from him. Some people were afraid, and some others began to expect the worst. Papyrus, Blueberry, Sci and Core never lost that tiny spark of hope exhorting them on. It was hard to hang on to it, though, even in company of those impish children of all shapes and sizes running around them and trying to make them smile and the shaman's encouragement.

He stirred the eleventh day.

He barely opened his eyes for a few moments the day after that.

He seemed able to hear those around him two days later.

It was after half a month that they heard those miraculous words from Shenshe.

"He's waking up."

* * *

Oh, his head...

His eyes clenched and fluttered open, weakly, and even the light of a candle hurt his heavily blurred vision as though it belonged to a spotlight right in front of him. He felt completely numb and was utterly confused, but he wasn't in any pain. That was what confused him the most.

He looked up, and it didn't take him long to realize he was somewhere he wasn't familiar with at all; definitely not Undersail or the Doodle Sphere, judging by that roof. He suspected the worst the moment his eyes were still adjusting to the lighting, making everything seem dark, but he calmed down once he began to realize how illuminated that place actually was. That was not the ominous castle he thought it was, and he heaved a small sigh of relief, though he still didn't feel entirely safe wherever that was.

Puzzled and tired, he managed to get himself into a sitting position with more effort than he thought he would need, leaning against the wall when his headache grew with a sting at his movement as if he hadn't moved in ages. A hand went over his head, trying to somehow ease that vicious ache.

...wasn't that arm broken?

Slowly widening his eyes, he looked at his hand as if it was a foreign object while he confusedly flexed his phalanges, also noting the many stitches on his gloves and sleeves. None of his bones that had previously been broken hurt at all... nothing did, in fact, except for his head, and he was oddly neutral about it all. He should have been freaking out by then, but he didn't. Why? He didn't know. He didn't know anything at all.

He was supposed to be dead…

Lowering his hand, he couldn't help but lightly tilt his head at the odd sight of a blue figure inching a tad closer to him. He didn't even realize it was there before.  _Was_  it there before? Any other time, he probably would have gotten away, but he was too tired and confused to move. He didn't even know what was happening, at all. It was like he had been asleep for decades and he'd woken up in the future, lost in time.

Blueberry offered him a small, warm smile, keeping his tone hushed; he had insisted to check up on Dream first, as he had gained most of his trust if the events eleven days ago were any solid proof of it. "HEY. IT'S BEEN A WHILE, HUH? EVERYONE WAS GETTING REALLY WORRIED."

The skeleton blinked in true bewilderment. How much of a while? A while since what? Who was everyone? Worried about what? And why? Where was he, anyway? He was more focused on his own rhetorical questions than on the blue skeleton. At least he had someone who could answer his questions, though… but there were so many, too many for his own comfort.

"W… Where am I…?" His voice was so weak.

"WELL… I GUESS YOU'RE HOME NOW."

…home. Home…? He had a home? What place could trash like him possibly belong to? What kind of home did he have? Had he always had a home? Had he really woken up in the future or something?  _What was happening?_

Seeing Dream look down in utter confusion and deep thought, the gentle smile Blueberry sported slowly curved into a mildly worried frown. "I- YOU…  _REMEMBER_  WHERE YOU COME FROM, RIGHT? YOUR OWN UNIVERSE? DREAMTALE?"

Dream looked at him like he was speaking to him in a nonexistent language that couldn't possibly be deciphered. "My own... universe...?"

Blueberry blinked. "YOU DON'T REMEMBER...?" he hesitantly asked, and after a few seconds of confusion, Dream slightly shook his head. The blue skeleton fidgeted. Blueberry truly hoped that loss of memory was temporal. Dream had just woken from a coma, it would be best if nobody jumped into conclusions even though it was rather hard not to panic.

"AND DO YOU... REMEMBER ME?"

Dream regarded him for a moment before weakly replying, crossing his arms over his knees. "I... yes..."

The blue skeleton blinked again, twice, pondering. Blueberry wasn't going to say he wasn't relieved; for a terrible moment, he thought Dream had completely lost his memories, which would difficult everything to a dangerous point. Starting over? It was unthinkable. Dream only seemed to have forgotten his own past... but then again, that didn't entirely add up. When did that happen? Was it after waking up? He had never showed signs of having forgotten his life before; not noticeable signs, at least.

Blueberry looked up when he heard the sound of slow footsteps coming down the stairs, and met Abu's expectant gaze; right when he needed needed him the most, though he wasn't happy with having to break the bad news on his own. Again.

"Is he finally awake, child?" the old mad softly asked, Blueberry nodding carefully in response. He noted how Dream eyed the human with insecurity and apprehension, further showing that he truly didn't remember his past at all. Then again, it all could be due to confusion, but Dream looked at who once was his mentor like a complete, untrustworthy stranger.

"YES, BUT... I DON'T THINK HE REMEMBERS ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PLACE."

Abu stopped at the blue skeleton's words to ponder, realizing how distrustful Dream suddenly looked around him. Seeing him so weak and tired, brimming with confusion, full of cuts and scars... it was heartbreaking. With an almost inaudible sigh, he walked next to Blueberry, softly muttering, "Is that so?" Dream shrunk when he came closer, further making his heart ache. "You do not remember me? Or any of this? No familiar vibes telling you that you are home?"

The little guardian meekly shook his head, almost with fear, wishing his action would make the stranger go away. He didn't want to be there. He  _really_  did  _not_. He felt so lightheaded and exhausted and he didn't know where he was or why he had been brought there. He wanted to be with Ink and the rain and everything he had ever known. Or even better yet, underwater, as a pile of dust lost in the sand below, forgotten by everyone and finally at peace... but that chance had already been wasted.

"HE DOES REMEMBER EVERYTHING ELSE, THOUGH." Blueberry pointed out, hoping to at least ease the situation. "AT LEAST, I  _THINK_  HE DOES. HE REMEMBERS ME AS FAR AS I KNOW."

The contemplative eyes of the elder glanced at the skeleton that had once been a cheerful little being with no place for grief, unable to show any expression aside from sadness and concern. "Is that true? Do you remember everything before this?" Dream stayed silent for a couple of seconds, averting his gaze as he lightly nodded before resting his head over his crossed arms.

Abu gave him a stern yet empathetic look.

"Do you regret it?"

. . . did he? That was something he couldn't quite answer, at least not without some serious pondering. Given how things were right then and there, he did, because he was somewhere he didn't want to be in and felt terrible for reasons unknown to him and was disappointed in himself, but at the same time he knew he would think differently if he wasn't there and he was confused and he  _hated it_  –

His mulling silence was the type of answer Abu was regretfully expecting from him, and he hummed quietly in response. Despite not knowing the true answer, he doubted it was anything close to a yes, but he kept that sorrow to himself. Blueberry gave Dream a sad glance that he only took elsewhere when he heard the rattling of the entrance's chain curtain as Shenshe curiously hopped in.

"How's it going?" she quietly asked, staying at the doorway. Her ears were lowered, expectantly hoping to get any kind of response that would soothe her nerves even for a moment, though one twitched inquisitively.

"Aside from a very particular memory loss..." Abu muttered, "he seems to be relatively fine." He gave Dream a heartfelt smile of friendship and empathy, wishing it would show his harmless intentions, but it didn't seem to mean anything to the skeleton.

The white creature tilted her head as she heaved a sigh of true relief, ears partially raised again. She showed a small, fanged smile, "That's good to hear… Should the others come in?"

Abu gazed at Dream in evaluation. He seemed to have already zoned out, lost in thought, looking down at nothing in particular with lost, tired eyes that were long devoid of that golden spark that gave them life. He was tired and bewildered, having no idea of where he was or what would happen to him, and he had just woken up after two weeks in a coma. Judgment was quick to be made.

"Not now. He is most definitely not ready for much attention just yet. I do need the scientist here, though. Tell him to bring all that's left of the elixir; this may be our last chance."

Shenshe nodded affirmatively, heading outside, though she did seem a little disappointed; she still had that urge to quite literally tackle Dream into a hug of solace, but it was not the time. Being informed, heading back to his timeline and returning, it took Sci about five minutes to finally arrive, syringe in hand and full. He was contemplative of it as he walked in, almost unsure, and he already knew his first question would be why Abu needed all that was left of that miraculous potion.

The caped skeleton watched half-attentively as skeleton and human spoke with seriousness, a few questions and answers here and there, agreements and disagreements, some pondering every once in a while, the small glance at times, all while Blueberry observed the books and potions stored in the shelves with childish curiosity, sometimes trying to overhear the conversation out of intrigued concern.

Dream couldn't understand what they even wanted anymore. He couldn't tell if they were trying to help him or if they were trying to help themselves, but his wellbeing didn't seem to be part of their biggest preoccupations in his eyes. It would be better if they would just leave him alone... what a joke. He could have been just fine had he been left on his own…

He kept his gaze low and fixated on nothing in particular, acting aloof when Sci turned to look at him, the scientist's dubious eyes glancing at the syringe before he cautiously walked towards him. The other two stayed behind, crowding being the last of their intentions, though Dream didn't care; he felt crowded anyway, mixed thoughts swirling around him like a swarm.

"You know this is gonna fix you, right?" the scientist quietly began, and only grey pupils looked at him without any other movement made. Dream's expression was completely monotonous despite a thousand undecipherable thoughts begging him to run and scream and cry. He couldn't muster anything but apathy, though he was focused on whatever was on that syringe that grasped his attention so firmly. Even though the needle was small, it still reminded him of the sharpness of those dark blades threatening to tear him apart.

"But I'm not gonna do anything you don't want me to. This is your choice. We can wait, or we can finally fix things, but it depends on you. You've already been through enough. Nobody will force you to do anything."

That had to be the very first time he was actually given a choice, then.

Though lightly, Dream fully glanced at the other skeleton beside him, then at the golden glow that faintly illuminated his phalanges. He knew whatever happiness that thing could bring amongst the group would not last forever; it was a fact that it would eventually attract unwanted attention that would get them all killed.

...but why care anymore? He couldn't even kill himself right. He was useless, good for nothing. He shouldn't care about whatever had to happen to him; it didn't make sense anymore to care. It would be much better to entirely give up and let everything happen, be it good or bad. He knew he would never have a  _true_  choice. He just hoped whatever was in there didn't work on him and killed him off for good.

Though hesitantly at first, he silently extended his arm, giving Sci the green light to do what he had to do. Sci was rather surprised, to say the least; he hadn't expected Dream to accept just like that, and so easily, but the less time the process took, the better. A small, patient smile appeared on his traits as he muttered, "I see."

Ever so carefully, he took hold of the other skeleton's wrist and glanced one last time at what could possibly save everyone's lives. He was positive it wouldn't hurt much, if Toriel's reaction was any proof of it. "...well, here goes nothing."

There was a small flinch once the needle was injected, but no regret or complaint followed. Dream silently watched that golden liquid drain with dim eyes; it was rather mesmerizing, for some reason, and at least it didn't hurt, though there was a faint stinging sensation running through his radius as the elixir flowed into him.

The syringe was empty in a few seconds, and was taken out with care, watched by hopeful eyes that were searching for any reaction that would tell them they had succeeded for just once. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Sci murmured, watching as Dream observed his arm; it tingled, but aside from that, nothing seemed to be happening.

"Shouldn't take more than a couple minutes for it to actually take effect." the scientist announced, stepping back. "We still need memories of something important to him, even if he doesn't remember a thing about this place." He turned to look at the human, "Is there anything that could hold strong enough memories?"

Abu thought for a moment. Normally, merely being close to his mother would have been way more than enough, but the tree was devoid of all life. There was something else, though...

"There is." the elder finally took the only choice.

* * *

They allowed Dream to have a few minutes on his own, making sure the serum was ready to take effect and letting him find his bearings, which took him quite a while. That relentless headache eventually faded away, and it was then when he, though reluctantly, agreed to follow Abu wherever it was he wanted him to go.

In the far end of the village laid a beautiful rock formation, its highlight being a lake of once crystalline water having turned dull, poured by a small waterfall; the same sight that had caught Blueberry's attention when he first stepped into that timeline. Having to go through there, Dream was asked if he remembered that place, but he was positive he had never seen it before. He was positive he had never been there at all, and kept believing he was still asleep and hallucinating. Everything just seemed so surreal, so many things on top of the other, so many riddles, so many things he was supposed to know for some reason.

Going past the lake, both stopped in front of a cave; there was a dim light coming from the inside, keeping the darkness away, but it still have it an eerie look. When Dream looked at the human for guidance, he nodded at him, confirming that it was their destination; not precisely what he wanted to hear, but since all he could do was tag along, the skeleton hesitantly stepped in; there were some sort of natural stairs at the entrance, two simple steps leading inside.

The light came from two candles, fueled by magic as was apparently typical there, resting over a flat boulder next to the wall. Dream wondered why he'd been taken there of all places.

"Have a look. You will understand."

But he understood nothing, and it both bothered and frightened him. Dream turned towards the old man, completely unsure about it all; it felt like the headache was coming back, and he truly wanted to turn back and leave. "But why? I don't remember any of this. I don't think I even should..."

With a brief headshake, Abu slowly lifted his cane and ever so slightly tapped the top of the skeleton's skull with it, "You are thinking with this," He moved the cane down to tap his ribcage, where anyone's heart would be, "not with this." The old man smiled patiently, "Try. Follow what your heart tells you, and always listen to it."

Dream was unsure of what that riddle of words meant, but it wasn't like he could do anything else. How was he supposed to let his ‘heart’ guide him, anyway? That was possible? He couldn’t even feel anything that wasn’t apprehension.

Defeated, he looked around, but nothing rang a bell at all; not that there was much to see, though. As he walked further in, he startled when something brushed against his forehead, and it wasn't until he stepped back and looked up that he noticed the wooden, obviously handmade mobile hanging from one of the many stalactites above. There were ten threads twirling in the air; five with suns, five with moons, made out of some short of shiny metal.

Grey eyes watched the decoration spin and oscillate and gently rattle, almost hypnotized by its motion and barely audible sound. Watching it was... strange. He couldn't comprehend why. It was just a decoration, right? It just felt like he had already seen it before…

Focusing into something else, he kept exploring until a bunch of papers scattered in a corner stopped him. They were drawings, visible; some depicted sunsets, the village, and environments in general, while others depicted _him_ , though childishly drawn. Him, and... a darker clone of himself…? The lack of context drove him to ignore the change in color scheme, but the feeling of déjà vu was strong.

Moving on, a small book lying on the same little boulder the candles were was the next thing to catch his attention. It looked old, covered in dust, and the cover was decorated by the mere word _'Diary'_ carved into it. With a small head tilt, Dream carefully took the book, and opened it. All the entries were written in black ink in a somewhat messy handwriting, but it was still fairly understandable.

_ Day 1 _

_Aw, Dream finally convinced me to make one of these. Might as well enjoy it. Who knows, nothing much happens, but maybe someday we can both read this up after, say, a couple years and remember all the good times that are to come. I’ll still stick to reading, though!_

Dream tilted his head. If he hadn't written that, who did? It was definitely someone who knew him reasonably well, probably a close friend. Just... who, exactly? It seemed really old, judging by the worn cover and yellowish pages, so it couldn't have been any of his current friends, or Ink – definitely not with that handwriting –, or anyone he could remember. He soared through the pages, seeking the answer, maybe a name or hint, but nothing was found; all the entries kept talking about wishes and personal thoughts, until the fifth day.

The writing suddenly changed to be messier and the day count was left forgotten, and Dream could almost feel the insecurity of whoever wrote it. It kept talking about being afraid, of not liking 'those people', of wanting to change and be like him, of not wanting to be alone. Around eight pages in, Dream realized a couple of them had been ripped off, and many words in the ninth day were full of scribbles and... teardrops? A trio of purple-tinted stains left a few words unreadable.

For some reason, the next page had him hooked.

_I'm afraid. It's not just my imagination, I know... They hurt me this time. They hurt my heart. Why won't they treat me like they treat you?! Is it because I'm so… distant? Am I really what they say I am? A weirdo? Untrustworthy? Useless? Is it true that I don’t… belong here? I know I would never be able to be like you, but... I just want them to stop... You'll see, I will make them change their mind. I'll help you! I can be just like you, brother!_

_"Brother"_? The only brother he had would gladly cross a desert without water just to murder him. There was no possible way Nightmare could have written that. But... then... who? He didn’t have any other brother, and he hadn’t written that.

He hadn't realized he had been staring at that same page for over a minute, wondering just who it could possibly belong to. Did he have another brother he didn’t even know about? Most entries referred to him and him only, so whoever that was had to be _his_ sibling… it didn’t make any sense... Much to his dismay, flipping the enigmatic page over showed him empty ones, and that was it; all the way to the end, nothing more had been written.

Something... stirred deep in his chest, like memories trying hard to reach the light, but he wouldn’t be able to put it into words. It wasn't a normal feeling at all; it was something beyond what he could comprehend, and confusion grew stronger as he pondered. Why was the book shaking? No– why was _he_ shaking?

Trying to ease his nerves, loose for unknown reasons, he lowered the book back onto the flat rock, the flames of the candles dancing with the slight motion, and focused on the stone wall in front of him without attention, trying to look into one fixed spot to clear his mind – and yet, there was something that wasn't as grey, and his attention was unleashed again.

Barely focused, he looked up, watching a brown blob that he instantly recognized as a photograph surrounded by an oval frame; very old, at that, colored but drenched in a sepia tone. Two shapes identical to him made him want to have a closer look, and it took him a few seconds to let it sink in.

 _He_ was there, on the left, ever so cheerful and sporting a wide smile that projected utter joy even through the picture. And innocently winking beside him was his same face, but dressed in darker colors, a smile not as wide but surely genuine; the same color scheme he had seen in those drawings, the same crescent moon engraved in that crown–

…he had seen that crescent moon many times before, always followed by pain and dread and–

He tried hard to push those thoughts aside, deeming them as utterly senseless, and kept focusing in that bizarre picture, only then realizing that in the background laid a tree of visible beauty, of fruits of different colors, and their corresponding guardians beneath each side.

…why did the word guardians come to him so suddenly?

. . .

. . .

...what was that feeling...? It wasn't bad, but it was growing stronger, and Dream felt like he was going to burst. Was it nostalgia? It was similar, but it was much stronger, almost purer, almost desperate.

Why would his mother and his brother trigger such a powerful mem–

. . . _what?_

Why was the room spinning? Why did he feel so numb? Why was the headache back? Why did his chest tingle? Why couldn't he think clearly? Why– _what_ was he... remembering...?

Stepping back, he looked at the mobile, motionless. And he saw himself for a split second. He saw himself and–

_"It looks good there!"_

_"Really?"_

_"When the sun goes down, the light will make them glow!"_

_"They_ are _glowing. Make- make it spin!"_

_"Ah, it's so pretty...!"_

His swirling attention was panned to the entrance.

_"Doesn't this look just like a house?"_

_"We could stay here, you know? It'll be our fort!"_

_"We'll be safe from everything... Won't we, Dream?"_

Ghostly laughter filled his hearing as he looked at the book, and for some reason, he felt like he was about to cry out of shock.

_"I'll help you! I can be just like you, brother!"_

_~~"Just like you!"~~ _

**_~~"Just like you!"~~ _ **

~~_**"̵J͡ust͟ ͞like y̢ou̸!͠"** _ ~~


	17. Once Upon a Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It hurt him so much to realize that someone who would- who had risked his own life just to protect him was trying to kill him. He couldn't remember how he had reacted to it when it happened all those years ago, but he could swear he felt even worse. The past was coming back, and he could not make the same mistake again.

"c'mon, he'll be fine."

"I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST... REALLY WORRIED FOR SOME REASON."

"the reason being...?"

"HE'S BEEN THROUGH A LOT... DO YOU REALLY THINK IT'D BE _THAT_ EASY TO BRING HIM BACK?"

"maybe. i'm not the one who's supposed to know that, bro. just think positive; it's our best bet."

But Blueberry couldn't stop his mind from buzzing with negative thoughts and doubt as if a swarm of treacherous mosquitoes had taken over it. He hated to think negatively, but he couldn't exactly help it; it was that hateful aura all around the multiverse, still spreading, with only a tiny hint of luck out there stopping it. He continuously tried to remind himself that Toriel had also been left as an emotionless wreck yet he managed to pull through with some help as a way to push those thoughts away.

What made Dream any different from her? Unfortunately, Blueberry knew Toriel hadn't been hunted down for weeks. He knew Toriel hadn't been haunted in her dreams. He knew Toriel hadn't been tortured for the sake of mere fun. He knew Toriel hadn't tried to kill herself. _That_ made Dream much, much different.

"If you need some positive reinforcement," Sci chimed in, "Dream is still made out of good feelings no matter what happens to him. And while I don't know how that works, it's possible that all that positivity might strengthen the effects and bring him back entirely."

Blueberry hummed quietly in response, trying to sound convincing but failing at it; so much confusion took the words away from him, and even with encouragements he couldn't let go of his worry. He knew there was something wrong with _him._ He was so broken… He knew he'd have to rely on Dream from then on to maintain his composure, _if_ everything went accordingly.

In thoughtful silence, they arrived at the elder's house where Core, Shenshe and Arel had been having their own conversation and sharing their own thoughts about what was happening; preoccupation never faltered among them as they reviewed the good and bad things that could possibly and very easily happen in perhaps not long from then. The three skeletons sat beside them, looking contemplative, and the monochromatic child was the first to notice Blueberry's brimming concern highlighting above the others'. _"Anything on your mind, Blue?"_

"A LITTLE BIT OF WORRY." the small skeleton confessed weakly, but he still tried to dismiss it with a little smile that didn't really do much. "BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOTHING. I'M SURE EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. I KEEP OVERTHINKING STUFF, SO… DON'T MIND ME."

"Keep thinking like that, buddy..." Shenshe mused out loud, looking up into the perpetually darkened sky that she still hadn't gotten used to. "Any positive thought helps right now. We need to believe from the bottom of our hearts, otherwise this might never work, and we only have one chance." She looked down, the scarlet of her eyes drenched in a sad tint. "We've lost one... I really don't want to lose the other."

**_"aww, that's sad."_ **

Everyone jumped and turned towards the house in unison, shocked faces copied and pasted six times as many eyes were planted on the black replica of Papyrus nonchalantly sitting on the edge of the roof; another one stood behind, looking into the horizon whilst the other glared at the group.

Blueberry couldn't recognize the number 40, but he sure did recognize the 82.

Shenshe exchanged several glances between the colorful Papyrus and the not-so-colorful duo, trying to find the possible connection between them. She couldn't think of any universe with dark Papyruses, but it wasn't like she was keen on the multiverse as a whole. "Um, who's that?"

The skeleton clad in orange took a step back, eyes glaring at his doppelgangers with a worrying amount of hatred; Blueberry slowly inched behind him, always keeping his sight on those two. "...do they remind you of someone?" Papyrus deadpanned, continuing to icily glower at his darker versions as they grinned. Actually, only one of them did, but he couldn't care less.

Arel seemed to have lost his breath, and he pulled a crooked smile of pure disbelief. "You're... Heh... You're kidding, right?"

"wish i was. that's just part of nightmare's little army."

The two black skeletons jumped off the roof as the group backed away from their undoubtedly hostile figures. The one always up front, 40, had his sword in hand and a sharp, hateful grin of white. 82 wasn't even angered at himself from outwardly showing that he didn't want to partake in any of what was about to unleash, but he knew he was being treated as an equal to his relatively violent comrade.

The bunny's ear twitched as she went completely still. "Army." she parroted, her whole world crumbling.

 ** _"that's right."_** 40 cheerfully commented, nonchalantly twirling his sword as he circled the monsters and humans with hostility whilst 82 remained stationary, his expression impassive. **_"and i do believe you're in a lot of trouble right now. y'see, we know everything that's happened, and this information has already been transferred to lord nightmare. oh-ho-ho, trust me, he's not in the mood for jokes. just be happy you didn't do a major stupidity this one time."_**

'Major stupidity'… Core gulped nervously; that skeleton wasn't showing signs of knowing that Dream had most likely gotten the closest to a soul back, otherwise they would all be absolutely doomed. Again, they didn't know for sure. It was a chance they hadn't found out that much.

"You brought that damn demon here?!" Arel exclaimed before he could get a hold of himself, clearly brimming with rage and easily startling Shenshe. His eyes screamed rage, but they were also full of fear and concern. Those emotions were present among everyone else; haunting them, mocking them, telling them all hell was just about to break loose.

**_"It's surely of bad manners to go talking behind one's back."_ **

And everything went silent, as though a silent gale had frozen the world.

Ever so slowly and in synchronization, everyone turned around to face the source of that ominous voice that nobody doubted of before recognizing, though they wished they hadn't known who would be there to greet them. No face could have ever expressed more fear and shock than Shenshe's and Arel's; the former's ears were completely pressed back, and it looked like she had stopped breathing altogether. Behind them, only one of the specters showed a smug grin.

The grin Nightmare sported was inscrutable. One couldn't tell if it showed relish, or anger, or enjoyment, or mockery. That was just one of the most terrifying aspects he sported. No matter the situation, he would always turn out to be unpredictable.

Arel's words seemed to have been caught in his throat as he stared with wide, disbelieved eyes. Further hiding behind his brother until only his head was visible, Blueberry risked a trembling glance behind him; the people that had been outside were frozen too, paralyzed with fear and shock. Nobody dared to make a single move nor take their eyes off the quite literal devil, even when they noticed many more specters appearing out of nowhere, grinning almost diabolically.

The melting creature slowly tilted his head, smirk widening. **_"Oh, do I not get a welcome even after… what, five hundred years or so? Aww, what a beautiful family we are, never willing to change. I expected no less from you."_**

Everyone except for the sword-wielding skeletons all around the place was completely stationary, only their distraught eyes following the nonchalant pace of the black mass of tar circling them. Mothers held their children close, and small critters managed to find their way into the bushes they had been playing around just a second ago for cover.

 ** _"Anyway, leaving rudeness aside,"_** Nightmare shot a cold glare at a couple of monsters nearby, sending them tripping over themselves and running for their lives immediately. He ceased pacing, only a few feet separating him from the others. **_"I do believe you know what I came here for._ Who _I came here for, if we're being specific."_**

"then you can keep looking." Papyrus hissed, barely acknowledging his dangerous burst of unneeded courage. The grin of white faltered to show an unsatisfied frown at his words. "you've done about enough. you are not getting your way this time."

**_"Let me word this differently."_ **

Blueberry and Core were the first to startle when they heard literal hisses coming from practically every direction, realizing that the specters had begun threatening bystanders and prowling closer to them with menacing glares and smirks, seemingly at the edge of attacking, their swords in hand.

**_"You have exactly five seconds to hand the little ball of sunshine over before I unleash hell upon this rathole."_ **

* * *

It was so confusing... so painful... so puzzling... so saddening...

After nearly having a panic attack, it took Dream several wavering minutes to even breathe normally, let alone allow himself to stop pacing. All the voices and flashbacks had finally stopped haunting his mind, but he was still dazed and lost, feeling like he had completely zoned out and everything he was seeing was a mere hallucination. His attention wasn't regained until Abu gave him something to focus on, something he would have never known, something he didn't know he needed, something he didn't know had even happened.

 _Their_ true story.

Every occurrence and every detail as told through the eyes of neutrality struck him with the force of a hurricane; it was his story, but it almost wasn't, because after hundreds of years he could finally see that he had lived a lie and had always been completely oblivious to literally everything around him. The worst part was that it all made much more sense all of a sudden, and the truth had never been more heart-wrenching. The memories stung harshly.

He didn't know he had been used.

He didn't know they had been surrounded by people who didn't care.

He didn't know they didn't matter.

He didn't know his brother had been tormented.

He didn't know his brother had always tried to protect him.

He didn't know they made him a monster.

It was all a lie.

Everything had gone silent after the story, as expected, except for the distant sound of the waterfall outside. Normally, it would have been relaxing, but a storm of thoughts didn't let Dream hear it. He didn't want to hear anything else.

"…I didn't even know myself..." the caped skeleton finally muttered, his voice barely audible as he looked down. "I... I didn't know _anything_... I never even... _questioned_ it... I… I was so stupid, I should've known something was wrong, I–"

He looked like he was about to cry, and tears were indeed welling in his eyes, but he managed to blink them away. Everything hurt more since he was able to see his past, the life he had never understood racing past his eyes. He almost felt numb; it was _horrible_. He hated himself – how could he have dismissed the obvious?!

"It's… It's m-my fault…"

He began sobbing against his will, and sat down as he rubbed the cascading tears off. Seeing him so distraught only caused the human's soul to continue aching; perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to let everything rain down so suddenly, but it was possible that they were running out of time and there was no more room for mistakes. Dream was once more carrying what currently was the greatest responsibility in the entirety of the remaining multiverse, and even with only half a soul, he was a walking time bomb; that, too, meant he would be in even greater danger than before if he wasn't careful enough. One mistake, and there would be no more turning back, _ever._

"Ah, of course not, child. We are the only ones to blame here, you should never believe any of this was in any way caused by you."

"B-but… h-he was my brother…" _Was?_ "I- I should've _known…_ I didn't do anything, I n-never even… I… I'm so sorry…"

Snowy eyebrows were furrowed with sadness as a quiet hum was made. He walked past the sniveling skeleton, letting him regain his composure, until he was up close with the one picture that unleashed a sea of twisted memories. "…nobody wanted any of this to happen, but _you_ especially did not. I know you. I… _knew_ your brother. I knew that you would have never let this happen had you been aware of the truth. Blaming yourself is a grave mistake, child. We must blame ourselves and nobody else."

The elder turned to look at Dream. His attention was back to him while he silently tried to calm himself down, and it was then when he silently noticed that one detail on those watery eyes; one pupil was still a lifeless grey, but the left one, however, was once again golden. "That is why you must promise me something."

The skeleton blinked with doubt.

"Anything could happen from now on. There will be no more chances, so, please… If this world is ever in danger of succumbing to Nightmare… run away. Do not come back and fight. Never do it again, unless it's the very last resort. If your brother ever finds out you have this soul… oh, nothing will stop him. Promise me you will not get in his way."

…was that not the same as promising them he would let them die? _He couldn't do that._ And yet, he doubted… It was an entanglement of thoughts.

"You having a split soul is more dangerous than you having none altogether." Abu continued. "One side of you is wishing to help everybody in need and spread joy across the multiverse, your true self. However, the other side keeps you away from harm's way and makes you hesitate and fear. You are highly unstable now, child, especially with these memories clouding you, and that could be your doom if you do not react accordingly. Do not worry about us; worry about people who need and deserve it. Risking your life for nothing could mean the end of the multiverse now. You must take care of yourself first, until you become what you were meant to be once more."

Dream needed no further explanation as to why he should not be so comfortable in any lonely timeline anymore. The fact that a small part of the multiverse's positive energy had been stored away meant incoming doom; he had always questioned why Nightmare's power hadn't changed as much as he thought it would have. He would tear him apart if he found out…

But he couldn't just leave and pretend he was not letting his family possibly die in the near future.

But he wasn't so bothered by it.

But he was.

But he felt like they didn't deserve his help.

But he felt like it wasn't their fault.

_Why did he keep contradicting himself?!_

"I… I promise…" his weak voice managed to say as he stood up, looking thoughtful. He suddenly regretted saying that, but he didn't, but he did, and he was so confused and his head hurt. He couldn't have a split soul. Either he was himself, or he was a suicidal wreck; he simply could not be both at the same time. That would get him killed sooner than it would let him be free.

A low rumble thundered across.

"…what was that?" Dream asked rhetorically, skeleton and human immediately snapping their gazes towards the entrance of the cave. They could only see the sky and a little bit of earth from their angle, but that was all they needed to notice the lighting gradually changing and what seemed to be… purplish black smoke chains twirling in the air and shooting in every direction?

There was something stirring in his chest, and not knowing what it was or why it was happening made Dream more uneasy than he should have been. It was like his mind was predicting something, something _bad,_ and he could feel it.

It didn't take long for screams to be heard, and the expression on both faces completely changed in realization. Dream almost jumped when a white figure suddenly hopped through the entrance, but relaxed immediately; to a certain point, though, as he knew nothing good could possibly be happening outside. Seeing Shenshe made him remember things he didn't have time for. All he could focus on was her distraught expression as she hopped restlessly in distress. "We have to get out of here! We have to get out of here _now!"_

She couldn't stop hyperventilating and going in a circle around the two confused beings, babbling incoherent words that only made sense every once in a while. It was impossible to keep up with her. "Please, settle down, what is hap–"

Abu's words were cut short when the rabbit practically shrieked, _"Nightmare is looking for Dream and attacking the village WITH AN ARMY!"_

A twinge of fear shot through Dream and caused him to flinch at the statement that he wished he would never have to hear; by the other hand, Abu momentarily froze as Shenshe ran in a hurried zigzag towards the entrance. _"We have to hurry!"_

Pushing through the sudden barrier of dread, the old man nodded and walked towards her. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Dream following him, and he placed an arm in front of the skeleton to stop him. "No, you must stay here. You could be seen out there."

"B- but I–"

_"Stay._

…please."

Dream stayed quiet for a few seconds, but eventually he looked down and nodded, taking a step back. Fear and regret and many mixed emotions were flowing through his differently colored pupils, and Abu couldn't help but return that same look before he went outside. He truly did not want to leave the skeleton alone, but having him walk outside while chaos struck would be the perfect recipe for disaster.

As everyone ran and hid wherever they could, Papyrus, Arel and a few other humans and monsters with an acceptable hold on magic fiercely protected the village against the many dark specters. Sci mostly used self-defense against skeletons wandering too close to him as he made sure Blueberry and Core safely made it behind a few houses, away from all the mayhem along Abu and Shenshe; the blue skeleton was clearly hesitant about straying away from his brother, but he seemed to have the situation under control.

Arel and the other humans that fought with him destroyed the skeletons with swords of their own without too much trouble, even though the strength of each individual varied, while Papyrus disintegrated entire groups of them with raging lasers that he made sure to keep away from the houses and panicking villagers despite the tension. Truthfully, the only reason nobody had died yet was because all Nightmare brought to the fight was spreading darkness that only caused psychological damage to those nearby and was, thus, a hazardous nuisance; he had more important matters to attend to, such as finding certain little cowardly sibling of his.

There was something strange in that timeline, he couldn't help but notice. Something highlighting among the fear and anger, something repulsive in his point of view, something he could recognize but wouldn't be able to name. It reeked of hope… a strange kind of hope, because it came to him why anyone would be hopeful in such situation. It wasn't even coming from the ongoing battle; it was further away.

...no, it couldn't be. It was impossible. And yet, he still glanced at the Tree; regrown, but lifeless, a mere, hideous obstacle in the way. He was overthinking it.

Dream wasn't able to stop himself from peeking out of the cave, his eyes widening as he spotted the chaos ahead. Purple smoke flew across the sky and the earth, chasing bystanders like it was sentient, and dozens of dark skeletons were killed as they attacked the villagers without success. At least they could defend themselves without his help... it relieved him, but it didn't. The screams, the terror, the tension... he remembered the one day he wanted to forget. He remembered hopelessly watching his brother become a monster. He remembered watching people die without being able to do anything. He remembered having failed them all. He remembered being forced to see his whole word crumble before being taken to a world of darkness.

And he remembered that Nightmare was supposed to be leading the fight yet he was nowhere to be seen. He was shaking again as he looked around. He did not want to be there. He did _not._

Looking to the left revealed a dark figure not that far from where he was; it was completely automatic for him to scramble behind a couple boulders just outside the cave, next to the pond; though he couldn't think clearly, he was thankful his loose nerves hadn't driven him to go back into the cave, otherwise he would have been easily trapped if he was found. At least he had a chance to run away out there.

He knew Nightmare had been facing the other way and hadn't seen him, but that didn't mean he was only a few feet away from him. For some reason, the mere presence of his brother sent faint shockwaves of bitterness into his soul; he could only guess so much hate would hurt that small cluster of positivity. It was not the first time he'd felt that.

Trembling, he peered around the boulders, and hid again with a silent gasp when he saw a blue eye look in his direction for a split second, pressing himself against the rock. He hadn't been seen. He hadn't been seen. _He hadn't been seen._

**_"Heh. I know you're here, Dream. Come on, quit resisting for just once. We are home, aren't we? Don't you want to start over? Everything could play out smoothly if you choose wisely enough."_ **

Dream shut his eyes and wished for it all to be over as soon as possible when he realized Nightmare was right behind him, only a small cluster of rocks separating them. He knew he would already be in his clutches had he actually seen him, but he couldn't even heave a sigh of relief. Nightmare must've felt his aura; he couldn't make any noise, otherwise he would be as good as dead in not long from then.

**_"Don't make me look for you. Y̧o͟u̶'ll̴ ma͞ke i͜t wór̴s̛e.̸"̀_ **

The small skeleton internally panicked when he heard footsteps way too close to him, but they seemed to be moving away and he dared to open his eyes. There wasn't such a distressing amount of bitterness surrounding him anymore, so he could safely assume Nightmare was indeed walking away. Only the sound of the fight and the waterfall were still there, but Dream simply couldn't calm down or ease his breathing. He expected the worst when he peeked over the boulder, only to let out a quiet exhale when he realized there was nothing there.

He stood up, though still unsure and trying not to make any noise; he just realized how nice it felt to be able to move without his femur aching, but he was faced with yet another obstacle: Nightmare was indeed looking for him. Where was he supposed to go? What was he supposed to do? Dreamtale wasn't even that big and he couldn't stay in one place, but moving around was a death sentence. He stopped to ponder; he would rather stay around there, as there were more places to hide, but fear tempted him to try and run away. Once again, he was arguing with his mind, and he could not think of anything he hated more than that. Was there _even_ a way out of that whole mess?

**_"Whe̢r͘e͡ ͜ąr̡̀͏e̵̡ ́͠y̸̷͢o͜u͏͘͏ ̧͡go̢͟i̧n̷͝͝g͜?͘"̸́_ **

Dream jumped and whipped around at the snarl behind him, falling back as he was met with a malevolent grin and a cold chuckle. Nightmare kept laughing as he ominously advanced, two sharp tentacles threatening to grapple the terrified skeleton. Dream rolled out of the way as the pitch black appendages pierced the ground where his arms would've been and scrambled to his feet, burning with fear that almost paralyzed him as dreadful chills colder than ice gnawed at every inch of him. The dark skeleton broke into a bloodcurdling laugh.

**_"̢D̷o͡n't ̶ru͞n͡ ͟ąwa̛y,̵ D͠r̨e͏am…"_ **

One single blaster was enough to take down an entire group of at least seven charging skeletons, and despite the lack of a true challenge, Papyrus was still growing tired with the repetitiveness of the tense fight. A boomerang bone stabbed through a specter behind him as Arel's sword pierced another one and disintegrated it on the spot. The humans and monsters alongside him were tired as well, but they were bent on protecting their land and their lives and their guardian. The others were doing it mostly with fear; Arel was doing it with hatred, shrieking at the cold beings to go away as he killed one after the other, having only received a cut across his cheek so far. Oh joy, another battle scar for the collection.

Papyrus caught fast movement behind him, and it was instinctual for him to face the incoming menace with a bone that he used to block the dark sword. He, of course, was not expecting that one skeleton to triple the strength of any other he had faced and to have the bone he used to shield himself snapped in half, the tip of the dark blade swinging just inches away from his face.

Papyrus stepped back in awe, glancing at the snapped bone before looking up at his attacker. It didn't take him long to recognize the number two highlighted by gold in that battle body; the same specter that had easily managed to seize him without much effort.

 ** _"remember me?"_** 2 grinned, before charging at his colored self. Both skeletons got caught in a brawl of dodging, blocking and swinging; Papyrus didn't even have time to launch a blaster if he didn't want to lose an arm, but he did manage to get a few hits on the others with a jagged bone of his own.

Whilst Arel managed to fend off 3, fighting like a savage and quite literally snapping at those too close to him like a rabid dog, Papyrus managed to seize 2 by the arm and shove him into the other skeleton, leaving time for both him and the human to breathe. Had it not been for that small moment of peace, none of them would have noticed the small figure running away from flinging tendrils trying to capture him; Papyrus was the first to realize, and something inside him broke.

"alright, _change of plans."_

One lightning-fast tentacle managed to harshly hit Dream on the side, sending him tumbling against a concrete house and lightly winding him. He hurriedly shook his head to rid it of the echoing ache, but looking up revealed Nightmare standing right in front of him and a wave of fear stopped the youngest from moving. His brother didn't look happy at all.

 ** _"Why do you always have to complicate-"_** The melting skeleton stopped suddenly, catching sight of the golden glow that should not be there; Dream never realized his other eye was glowing, a dead giveaway that he would have freaked out about. Nightmare stared at him with disbelief, and confusion, and building anger, and even a small hint of amusement. That repulsive aura was right there… no wonder it was so familiar. **_"You have a soul..."_**

Dream's whole world collapsed in terror, and it didn't help that Nightmare was ominously walking towards him with an intimidating glare. "N… n-n-no…?" he whimpered, realizing he couldn't back away any further. The other's shadow casted over him, making him shrink with horror.

**_"Y͏oú ͞l̶it̴t͏le-"_ **

_"Leave him alone!"_

Nightmare let out a surprised grunt when the coldness of a sword slashed his back, making him turn around and find the fool who had the audacity to attack him. Arel's blade didn't do much to him; in fact, it did next to nothing, and he gritted his teeth as he took a couple of steps back from the seething creature that glared at him with the intensity of death. The tip of his sword dripped tar.

**_"You stupid fool… gȩ̧͟t o͜ư͟t ̴̧of ̶̡͠m̨ý w̢a̡̧y̶!̡"͡_ **

Arel trotted back when he realized he only had a few seconds to react before Nightmare sliced him into a million pieces of human flesh, and shouted, _"Run! Get out! NOW!"_

The human jumped out of the way as a horde of tentacles shot towards him with the speed and sharpness of deadly blades, and Dream couldn't afford to think twice before he clambered away. Having Nightmare distracted and being in his blind spot helped a lot, but his brother still realized he had escaped; it was the disadvantage of being able to read the aura of every creature around them.

It hurt him so much to realize that someone who would- who _had_ risked his own life just to protect him was trying to kill him. He couldn't remember how he had reacted to it when it happened all those years ago, but he could swear he felt even worse. The past was coming back, and he could _not_ make the same mistake again. Easier said than done, though...

"hey buddy!"

The human was almost sliced in half had it not been for the distraction that caught Nightmare's attention for just long enough; Papyrus wasted not a second before readying a Gaster Blaster, and he eagerly remembered that one trick Fresh taught him last time he got caught in a deathly fight; a beam was not what came out of the fanged maw, but a bright flash of light. It was enough to make Nightmare cover his one eye and back away, leaving Arel enough time to get back up and find his bearings. Judging by the look on that contracted pupil, the melting skeleton was furious beyond words.

**_"I ͡am ̧no̴t̀ i̡n͏ th͞e ͠m̶o͟od͡ fo͟r͟ g̸ames.̧"_ **

Before any of the two could have time to react as accordingly as they could, one of Nightmare's tentacles granted them both a harsh blow on the stomach, promptly sending them to the ground. Pushing past the pain, Papyrus tried to summon another blaster, but Nightmare had already morphed into a shadow and taken off towards his fleeing brother. Arel was much more determined to stop him than he was, as was apparent by him standing up while he clutched his stomach and coughed. He seemed unstoppable as he grasped his sword and ran towards the ominous trail of ghastly smoke.

The cloud of indigo vapor rushed past Dream, almost making him stumble, though he was forced to stop when Nightmare's furious shape emerged from the smoke, almost towering over him. It felt like some nonexistent heart was about to pound right out of his ribcage, and the caped skeleton almost lost his footing as he ran in the opposite direction.

**_"̷Y̶ou͢'r̷e go̷in̢g ̷nowh́ere̸."_ **

Suddenly, all Dream could see was black, and felt an excruciating strain on his skull as he was pulled back. Two tentacles had wrapped around his temples, painfully blindfolding him. No matter how much he tried to free himself, it was in vain; not being able to see anything made him panic, but not even that helped him break free.

"Let go of him!" Arel could be heard screaming from the near distance, sword raised as he rushed towards Nightmare like a fearless knight towards a fierce dragon. Papyrus followed from close behind, eye glowing, but Nightmare wasn't at all faced by them. If anything, he grinned contently. He knew he had already won, and taken more than he had expected.

**_"I wouldn't do that if I were you."_ **

The coils around Dream's skull tightened, making him scream in pain. It didn't take any more than that for Arel to rush into a stop, his bold expression immediately morphing into one of profuse concern. Papyrus halted behind him as well, the magic in his eye immediately fading. None of them could notice the dark skeletons having finally stopped fighting, and all attention was brought towards them. Needless to say, shocked faces were not missing amongst the silent crowd.

Nightmare chuckled in delight. **_"That's better."_** Albeit slowly, he loosened the grip threatening to crush the other's skull, leaving Dream gasping for breath. He was wise not to try and fight back again; it would only make it worse, and it wasn't like he would ever be strong enough to free himself anyway. Such amount of negativity inches behind him was almost hurting him more than the pressure around his skull.

**_"Heh… really now, what did you think was going to happen? That you would magically be able to stop me just because you care about your oh so perfect home and your little 'friend'? You are so pathetic. It just further proves my point… hoping makes you believe you can do anything, when in reality that's just absurd foolishness. Speaking of hope, though… I'll have to thank you for giftwrapping this little soul for me. That was so nice of you."_ **

Dream's breath hitched at the mere mention of his soul.

 ** _"How wonderful, we're finally even… You help me become a god, I rid you of this stupid nuisance. What could you possibly complain about?"_** Nightmare uttered a malevolent chuckle that broke his innocent façade. Everyone was horror-stricken, but nobody dared to do anything, not even Papyrus, Core, Blueberry or Sci. Nobody knew what to do, or feared Dream would get badly hurt. Papyrus was considering firing another flash of light, but he too was worried Nightmare would hurt his brother. He was most definitely not afraid of doing so, judging by the saddening state he had left him in. **_"Anyway… We'll be taking our leave now. Thank you too for being as predictably stupid as always~"_**

He laughed diabolically as a cloud of smoke began to envelop both brothers, and a sudden wave of negative energy and the feeling of fading away forced Dream to try and desperately struggle to no avail. "No! _No!_ HELP ME!"

Watching from the near distance, Blueberry couldn't just stand and stare anymore. Papyrus was about to fire, but under his horrified gaze, his little brother rushed towards the cackling skeleton as dark smoke surrounded him, seemingly fearless, tears streaming down his eyesockets.

"STOP! LET HIM GO! _DREAM!"_

He lunged as the smoke engulfed the two skeletons, but too late; Blueberry phased through nothing, and took a hard fall. Nobody even realized the specters all disappeared in unison with hateful giggles and grins.

They were gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was longer than I'd expected it to be. Woo.  
> Agh, there's this one chapter I REALLY want to write. ;-; The next, next one, actually. Let's get interesting. >:) interesting and sad.


	18. Dark, Darker, Yet Darker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He still had a chance to make things right; he could still help everyone, he could do what he had never been able to. The whole world depended on him - he could not give up, he could not wait until Nightmare took his soul, and he could not let him torture him until he fell into the clutches of insanity. He had to fight. He had to get out of there.
> 
> He would get out of there.
> 
> He would not give up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case, this chapter has nothing to do with Gaster. :P

**_"First things first. You owe me more than a few explanations, Dream."_ **

The way to the dungeon had been ironically nightmarish, for a lack of a better word, for the king of nightmares himself, all thanks to his little brother; he had been tirelessly struggling the whole way, and not even the darkness and cold all around him seemed to face him enough to make him give up. Nightmare had been more than tempted to just crush his skull, but despite being a major nuisance, he had to give Dream some credit for at least trying.

Perhaps when he let him go and he saw where he was he would promptly change his mind and stay quiet for just five minutes. Surely the sight of an endless hall of prisons with caged monsters and humans cowering in terror would make him change his mind about trying to be a hero again.

**_“Get in there.”_ **

Dream was hurled into a cell like some useless rag, a completely empty cell devoid of any and all light and covered in the dust of whoever had had the misfortune of being caught and killed before him. The bars were made out of sheer darkness; all they were susceptible to was the nonexistent light, and would appear or disintegrate only on Nightmare's command, though the few Papyruses who were in charge of watching over the prisoners could open and close them as well. Nightmare felt no need to close the cell behind him; there was no way Dream could go past him.

 ** _"Where did you get that soul?"_**  Nightmare snarled, not even giving time for his brother to assess the situation. Though, Dream did know he was in the one place he did  _not_ miss at all once more, and he could see exactly why he'd been so apprehensive to ever see that castle again. It was cold, dark and lonely, and it drowned him with bad vibes, just like he scarcely remembered. That place had despair and death written all over it.

Dream wedged himself in a corner, trying to stay away from his furious sibling. He didn't know what he was panicking more about; there were too many things to be afraid of, all striking at the same time: the past mercilessly coming back, the fact that he was trapped with a madman, the realization of being in realm of pure darkness, knowing that he was completely helpless and at his brother's mercy, or lack thereof… It made him feel so lightheaded.

Having a soul really made fear stand above everything, because he was aware of why he was in that situation, because darkness was vainly trying to take over him, and because the one side of him that he wanted to get rid of was still traumatized. There were so many mixed thoughts and emotions clouding him that he couldn't think rationally.

 **_"_ ** **_̕_ ** **_A_ ** **_͡_ ** **_n_ ** **_̶_ ** **_swe_ ** **_̵_ ** **_ŗ_ ** **_m_ ** **_̛_ ** **_e_ ** **_̷_ ** **_."_ ** **_̢_ **

Dream almost jumped. Had he been the same terrified, utterly traumatized skeleton he had been not even that long ago, he would have immediately responded, but he simply couldn't. New morals stopped him from uttering a word, but the fact that he was absolutely horrified and disconcerted was another factor that replaced his words by pitiful whimpers and rendered him motionless.

Nightmare was losing what was left of his patience.

Seeing as his brother wouldn't speak up, he harshly grabbed Dream by his chin, a seething eye piercing into him as he forced their opposed gazes to meet.  ** _"Listen here, you little pi_** ** _̡_** ** _p̀sq_** ** _͢_** ** _u_** ** _̵_** ** _eak_** ** _͢_** ** _. You do realize where you are, do_** ** _̶_** ** _n't_** ** _̢_** ** _yo_** ** _̧_** ** _u?_**   ** _You know nobody is èver_** ** _̶_** ** _going to help you again, and you know you will n_** ** _̛_** ** _e_** ** _͟_** ** _v_** ** _̢_** ** _e_** ** _ŕ_** ** _get out of here, r̀ig_** ** _͡_** ** _h_** ** _̛_** ** _t?_** ** _͝_** ** _"_**  

Dream was shivering; he couldn't find his voice. His pupils were minuscule, irremediably staring into a ruthless eye of blue and silently begging for the mercy he wouldn't receive.

 **_"R_ ** **_̡_ ** **_í_ ** **_g̀_ ** **_͠_ ** **_ht_ ** **_͘͢͞_ ** **_?_ ** **_̵̛_ ** **_!"_ **

He yelped when Nightmare tightened his grip, and nodded as best as he could as he clenched his eyes shut; the horrid truth that he couldn't deny. The darker sibling grinned without letting go, but it wasn't a content smile. Rage was still brimming in his one eye, narrowing ominously.

 ** _"Good. Then I don't need to remind you that this is my_** **_d_** ** _̨_** ** _o_** ** _̷̡_** ** _m_** ** _̷̵̵_** ** _ai_** ** _̧_** ** _n_** ** _,_** ** _and that you are going to answer e_** ** _̶_** ** _ac_** ** _͢_** ** _h_** ** _̡_** ** _a_** ** _͢_** ** _nd̀ ev_** ** _̡_** ** _e_** ** _̢_** ** _ry_**   ** _question I ask you, o_** ** _̡_** ** _r el̀se."_** He pulled the smaller skeleton closer, **_"Is that unde_** ** _͟_** ** _r_** ** _̨_** ** _s_** ** _͞_** ** _to_** ** _̷_** ** _ó_** ** _d_** ** _͢_** ** _?_** ** _͘_** ** _"_** His grip tightened even further for a moment, and Dream audibly winced until Nightmare roughly dropped him without waiting for an answer.

**_"Where did you get that soul."_ **

But Dream remained quiet, breathing heavily as his mind spun. He didn't even know why he wasn't saying anything, not even a lie. He wanted to answer, but he knew he shouldn't, but he knew what would happen if he didn't, but he knew he couldn't condemn everyone, and he was as completely lost as his mind. It was an endless mental argument that kept him quiet, and he truly wished he could just bring himself to stop.

He didn't dare to look up into his brother's infuriated glare, though he felt it piercing through him. The internal urge to say something was begging him to quit averting his gaze, but he simply could not even move. He was paralyzed by fear. He knew he would die there.

Nightmare waited for a few seconds until it became clear that Dream was not going to say anything, and scowled hatefully.  ** _"That's how it is, huh? Fine."_**

In a way, he was glad his brother had a soul again; another one of the new tricks he had learnt only worked on those with a soul, but he had barely ever used it, and some time ago – only with a few monsters or humans who were stupid enough to step up and confront him, also known as the ones who were still locked up in there.

Perhaps he was not in the mood to have his time wasted, but he would never turn down a chance to see his fragile brother suffer. Besides, he did need answers, and with restored hopes, he knew making Dream tell him what he wanted to know through mere threats would not work anymore. Those threats had to become reality.

 ** _"Maybe_** **this _will change your mind."_**  

Dream flinched when an almost invisible chain of black smoke surrounded his torso; it seemed to follow his every move, but it wasn't damaging. It was cold, though, but all it did thus far was send off bitter ripples through his soul.

**_"Last chance to speak up."_ **

But Dream still did not, and only looked down, pondering and overthinking his choices – _did_ he even have a choice? It was common sense that at least a lie would give him enough time to try and escape, but he knew he was stopping himself, and he didn't want to do that. The last thing he wanted to do was make Nightmare angrier than he already was, but it was too late to reconsider, and he knew lying would only make things worse.

Not only that, but he didn’t even know where he was, and he had no powers. There was no getting out of that one, and that thought combined with the grin his brother flashed and the strange magic around him almost made him shudder.

**_"…as you wish."_ **

Nightmare clenched his hand into a fist, and the trail of smoke surrounding Dream suddenly gained an eerie glow and visibly shot all over him with with an unbearable wave of pain that could be easily compared to a freezing electrocution, producing a shrill hissing noise.

The small skeleton promptly crumbled, shrieking in agony as the pain became more and more intense by the second; it felt like he was being burned alive and his whole body was being torn apart, and it seemed like it had been hours until Nightmare finally stopped. Dream rolled to his side, breath broken and desperate as though all of his ribs had been shattered.

**_"Care to answer now? It will only get worse."_ **

But Dream was more focused on ventilating than on his brother's words, and he barely even heard him; everything around him was spinning and a false sense of fading into unconsciousness washed over him, filling him with more despair than he could bear.

A brief moment of quiet was all he was given to recover before the pain came back, lasting longer and striking with more power. The bloodcurdling screams brought Nightmare to grin in relish, and he almost didn't want to stop. After all, that attack was not lethal; he could keep going for days without causing death, and the amount of fear and desperation radiating off the smaller skeleton was delightful.

But he still needed answers, and after a torturous half a minute, he stopped, still sporting that sickening grin as he watched Dream wheeze and cough, shivering as though he was freezing. Nightmare let him recover for a few more seconds before he threatened him again,  ** _"Not enough yet?"_**

"In… in Dreamtale…!  _It was in Dreamtale...!"_  Dream wailed, barely able to even speak. Regret shot through him, but he knew he would not be able to undergo that hideous pain anymore, and it had been his own torment speaking for him. He just realized tears of terror and anguish were streaming down his eyes, and Nightmare grinned contently as he broke down. "It… it came from t-the energy that was saved up… I… I di-didn't know it could s-serve as a soul…"

A merciless chuckle sent shivers down his spine.  ** _"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"_**  Nightmare taunted with a fake tone of innocence, inching closer to the downed skeleton. Dream couldn't help but shrink when the other got closer, fearing the worst.  ** _"And I suppose you have all that's left of it?"_**

"T-they… they gave it to s-someone else as well…"

**_"And who would that someone be?"_ **

Dream fell into silence again, thoroughly arguing with his split mind. He had never lied in his life, and that would certainly not be the very first time. But he could not let out the truth either. He knew he would endanger everyone by doing so, and maybe even cause a death. Other thoughts told him that it didn't matter, or that they deserved it, but he was bent on believing that he simply could not give up so easily. He couldn't listen to his damaged half, especially not there. That part was never rational. But then again, _he_ wasn’t exactly rational at all…

**_"Ah, when will you learn…"_ **

And the pain came back, and all thoughts were scribbled away as Dream shrieked and tried uselessly to get away from the piercing pain that did nothing but increase. Through the ominous hiss of the dark energy surrounding him, he barely heard his brother growling,  ** _"When I ask a question, I expect it answered."_**

But against all odds, Dream resisted, even muting his own screams though with heavy difficulty. Something was urgently telling him to give up, but he could not. It was what Nightmare wanted him to do. He had come so far; he couldn’t just surrender and leave what was left of the multiverse without chances to be restored again. The  _world_  depended on him, he couldn't just–

Slowly, Nightmare twisted his hand, and the pain increased until it was absolutely unbearable, a burst of pure agony, and Dream was screeching again; it felt like his soul was being grasped and crumpled, sending excruciating waves of anguish through him without mercy. The horrifying shrieks were deafening; music to the melting skeleton's ears, and he smiled widely as his brother thoroughly suffered. It kept going for longer than Dream could handle.

 _"They're in the Omega Timeline...!"_  he desperately cried out, and Nightmare stopped once he finally brought himself to speak. The caped skeleton gasped for breath; he couldn't feel his body at all, only those erratic twinges coming and going devoid of pity. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to move, it hurt to  _live._  It was hard to see with all the darkness around him, but he knew his vision was blurring out and going black.

What felt like a void in his soul was weighing him down, keeping him motionless. It took him several seconds to say anything else, trying almost vainly to recover, and he felt like his ribcage had shattered when he finally did so. "But I… I d-don't know… w-who they used it on… I- I s-w-wear…"

Dream was expecting another wave of pain to strike until it became crystal clear that he was being asked something he truly didn’t know, but much to his useless relief, nothing happened, and solace clouded Dream as that dreadful fog vanished into thin air. Nightmare only smirked, stepping back and closing his eye as he pondered, imagining the near future.

He already was above everything, but to think he could be even more powerful was relishing, and knowing there was absolutely nothing there could be done to stop him was gratifying. He felt happy – his own kind of twisted happiness that only he could refer to with such name. He couldn't wait to see what kind of stupidity Dream's pals would do to somehow save him. Perhaps they wouldn't even bother and would eventually forget about him. That would be even funnier; something else to break his spirit with.

**_"I knew something was off. I knew I should have been way more powerful after I took your power, and turns out half of it was just out of my reach… heh, not anymore it seems. Good thing it'll be fairly easy to find that disgusting, positive aura in the Omega with so many broken souls lying around.”_ **

The dark skeleton broke into a quiet laugh drenched in malice and insanity. He turned to look at his brother, who almost jumped when a piercing eye burned into him; he had managed to sit up, but he was unable to get up, and he seemed at the edge of unconsciousness. 

 ** _"I'll go get whoever was unlucky enough to be helped by your idiotic friends first, but I'm afraid I don't trust you with that thing. We'll have to fix that somehow, don't you think? Besides… don't think I don't know what you did. Tricking me, trying to kill me by attempting to end your own, miserable life… W_** ** _͢_** ** _ho d_** ** _͡_** ** _o_** ** _͝_** ** _yo_** ** _͘_** ** _u_** ** _̵_** ** _t_** ** _̢_** ** _h_** ** _͞_** ** _ink y_** ** _͢_** ** _ou_** **_͢_** ** _are?_** ** _”_**

His irate grin widened as he closed up on his brother, and he could see the hopelessness in his eyes of dim yellow; Dream knew he had nowhere to go and nothing to defend himself with, and he looked more frightened than he’d ever been. He shrunk with tears in his eyes, broken breath increasing as the other advanced towards him. He heaved a stifled gasp when several tentacles began to tightly wrap around his torso and neck.

 **_“Aww, don’t fret. I only want you unconscious, so it won’t hurt for long… b_ ** **_u_ ** **_̵_ ** **_t it_ ** **_’_ ** **_͜_ ** **_ll_ ** **_͝_ ** **_h_ ** **_͞_ ** **_ur_ ** **_̸_ ** **_t_ ** **_͢_ ** **_a_ ** **_̶_ ** **_l_ ** **_ot_ ** **_̛_ ** **_._ ** **_͟_ ** **_”_ **

The taut hold around his neck and ribcage silenced any cry for help.

* * *

_"Brother…_

_Please, wake up…_

_You can't give up yet…"_

He lightly stirred and his eyes clenched, unable to open up. He was consumed by cold, exhaustion and a lingering ache all over him, and when he managed to blink twice, he noticed how blurred everything was, and he too noticed the bars keeping him locked up.

Absolutely fantastic.

He closed his eyes again as he took a tired breath in, finding his bearings, before trying to sit up, and he immediately leaned against the wall for support. Running a hand through his skull made him notice a few small cracks and feel a slight twinge from those several bruises.

Oh, right. He'd been beaten to unconsciousness.

He shook his head, blinking the blur away. Fortunately, nothing hurt too much, but it was dangerously cold in there and he shuddered as he hugged himself; it wouldn't be a surprise to know that whoever had died there had died due to hypothermia. The air was filled with sadness, and fear, and despair… it didn’t help at all.

A weak gaze looked around without hope, but there seemed to be no way out of there. He could oversee a small figure in the parallel cell from that angle; small, cowering in the far corner, splotched with… red. It looked like a human. The poor thing… It hurt him to know how many people Nightmare could have locked up in there and killed or driven to insanity. After all, the last time he had been there was hundreds of years ago. Anything could have happened in the meantime.

_"Dream…"_

He jolted, almost freezing on the spot, but confusion struck soon enough and made the rising fear disappear. Nightmare was definitely not there, and that quiet, gentle yet ghostly voice did not belong to him at all – suddenly, everything became a puzzle devoid of all logic. He had heard that voice before. Or had he? It was familiar, but it wasn't. Who did it belong to, anyway? And what was it doing there? There was nobody with him.

Oh, he was probably going crazy… He had already gone through near insanity when he tried to end his own life, and he would expect those effects to stick with him for a while, especially with that nuisance of a split soul. How else was he supposed to end up in such a place other than completely out of his mind?

He sighed and looked to his left, towards the bars that reminded him he was doomed and alone, trying to disconnect from the world of darkness that surrounded him. But, he saw something else; s _omeone._  Someone standing idly in front of the bars, looking at him, and his eyes slowly widened without trust. The sight of white amongst the black managed to relieve him just a little, letting him know that none of those Papyruses had found him, but if it wasn't any of them… who  _was_  that, then…?

Dream slightly raised his head to have a better look at the intruder, though he was still unsure and distrustful. That was, of course, until he focused on the small figure that looked too much like him, and he suddenly couldn't stop staring. The nostalgia attack he had gone through back in his own timeline was striking again, only it was way more powerful that one time.

The eyes…

The crescent moon…

The dark clothing…

Where had he seen that before…?

The figure smiled sweetly when their eyes met, and a pang in his head and his soul caused Dream to wince slightly; something stirred in his mind with brimming energy, and it was almost as if he was forcing himself to remember something. The mere sight of whoever that was struck him with powerful waves of remembrance. He had seen that exact same smile before, those exact same pupils, those–

. . .

…his… brother… his  _real_  brother…

No,  _no_ , it couldn't possibly be, _it was impossible_. The Nightmare he knew was gone. The one that had awakened his memories back in Dreamtale was forever gone. That gentle sibling of his had been replaced by a merciless killing machine who knew nothing but hate. There was no way his real brother was standing there, with him, smiling at him and silently telling him everything would be fine.

But the pure half of his soul was willing to push logic away. It was willing to make him believe his real brother truly was with him without even questioning why. He didn't care which reason his mind made up was correct and which was wrong; he would let his confused heart tell him what he had always wanted to believe, let it tell him that the one who stood there with him was the brother who would always be by his side and not the one who had caged and tortured him, and tears began welling in his eyes.

"B... b-brother...?" he stammered in shock, feeling like he was talking alone yet knowing Nightmare was actually listening to him if those indigo eyes following his slow movement as he stood up were any proof of it. How long had it been since he directly referred to his brother as… well, his brother? Without fear, without alarm? It felt like too long ago. "It's… It's… _You're-"_

A single tear was already rolling down his cheekbone while every inch of him told him to rush in and tackle his sibling into an endless hug, but it was then when he noticed something that took all of his hope and happiness and completely destroyed them, obliterated them without a trace.

His brother's figure was translucent. He could see the bars behind him.

His disbelieved smile slowly curved downwards until all traits of joy in Dream's expression faded out of sight, and his shoulders drooped ever so slightly. The hopeful twinkle those golden pupils had long been devoid of disappeared, and tears threatened to fall with sadness and not the opposite. "You're... n-not real..."

Figures… He knew it had been too good to be true. Something as miraculous as that could have only been a work of fiction… but, at least, those had been some nice five seconds. At least he got to be happy one more time. He doubted he would feel that way ever again, and a sad silence fell between both siblings while he pondered. Dream truly believed he had gone completely insane and was seeing things, until his brother spoke again.

Coherently.

Following the events.

Like he was actually there.

_"Aren't I? That depends on you."_

Dream slowly looked up at him, at his reassuring smile. Nightmare didn’t sound upset. In fact, he sounded like he had been expecting that answer, like he didn’t blame Dream for anything. _"What do you think we are linked for? We will always be together. I will always be with you, Dream, even if you can't actually see me.”_

The supposedly younger one stared in disbelief, almost gaping. He didn’t know if he was crazy, or if it was all an illusion, or if he was being tricked… all he knew was that his brother, the same Nightmare he wanted back, was talking to him like he was real. How would a figment of his imagination feel so lifelike…?

“B-but… you… How are you… here…?”

_“Because you never forgot me. I'm there. In your heart. I’ve always been… and as long as our bond prevails, I’ll forever be there.”_

Dream was speechless, tears still welling in his eyes.

 _“I know you remember everything. And I try to, as well, but it's just…_ ” Nightmare heaved a profuse sigh, clenching his eyes shut as though he was trying to stop himself from crying. _“I'm lonely, and I'm afraid. But I'm mostly_ _afraid for you. I don’t want you to lose hope now. Everyone is counting on you: believe only that, and always remember that you will not lose me as long as you hang on…_ _Please, don't forget me. We promised, right?”_

The proclaimed older sibling slowly extended his hand, showing a kind-hearted smile.

_“Brothers forever."_

He remembered that promise as clearly as water. It was made so long ago, so painfully long ago, even before their universe became filled with new inhabitants, but it was still there. It had always been. His current brother broke it. His true brother would never.

With a hesitant, quivering arm, Dream reached out to take his sibling’s translucent hand, but mere contact with his phalanges, which felt like nothing, caused Nightmare to fade away like sand blown by the wind. Dream pulled his hand back in shock, almost in guilt, and before he knew it, he was alone again.

Completely alone.

Surrounded by silence.

Feeling empty.

He didn’t even know if what he saw had been real or not.

He would have probably stayed there, unmoving, unsure of what to do, for quite a long time had it not been for a soft glow right below his head, and he seemed to blink a few times back into reality through the pain of heartbreak before stepping back and looking down.

A small light of pure gold in his chest lit up, then faded, then lit up again, then faded once more, following the rhythm of a gentle heartbeat. A burst of thoughts and emotions he could barely understand took over him, making him feel lightheaded but... strong, determined, hopeful. It made him feel...  _alive_. It made him like...  _himself._

It seemed like time had stopped. The glow of his soul grew brighter as his whole life raced past his eyes, and in a sudden blast of nostalgia and remembrance, he saw everything.

He saw himself with his brother, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. He saw his brother become distant without knowing why. He saw his brother become a monster and destroy everything he had ever known. He saw himself taken to the same place he was again stuck in, petrified, forced to watch how heartless his brother had become. He saw himself finally escaping. He saw himself protecting everyone. He saw himself finding a traumatized Ink. He saw himself helping him until the very end. And he saw himself losing everything he had vowed to protect.

But he also saw himself constantly remembering his brother, and he finally knew why his mind had been giving him those visions he had never understood. He saw himself being able to redo everything. He saw himself redeeming his brother despite the impossibility of such thing. And he saw himself understanding that he would have to fight for the multiverse’s freedom.

He finally understood.

He remembered everything.

It wasn't lost.

He wasn't lost.

 _Nothing_  was lost yet.

He still had a chance to make things right; he could still help everyone, he could do what he had never been able to. The whole world depended on him - he could  _not_  give up, he could  _not_  wait until Nightmare took his soul, and he could  _not_  let him torture him until he fell into the clutches of insanity. He had to fight. He had to get out of there.

He _would_ get out of there.

_He would not give up._

The light grew even brighter, and that same glow appeared in his hand; he gazed at it, sternly, and clenched it into a fist as he closed his eyes, letting his heart decide.

"You’re right, brother… _This isn’t over!”_

The golden shine grew brighter than the light of a beacon, fully engulfing the skeleton and filling the cell with sparks and belts of light shooting in every direction as his hand lunged at the pitch black bars keeping him away from freedom. The imprisoned monsters and humans nearby panicked away from the blinding shine, and covered their eyes when an explosion of light took over the dungeon for a few seconds.

And again, everything became silent.

The frightened beings slowly blinked their dim eyes open, uncurling themselves, and they didn’t even notice that the bars of darkness keeping them prisoners for who knows how long had melted off after the sudden flash; they were still somewhat blinded by it, but they could see Dream’s kneeling figure, at which they stared at silently and agape.

The small skeleton was breathing heavily, and for a few moments, his mind was completely blank and only full of confusion. What had gotten over him? It felt like he had been suddenly storing so much determination and hope that it all burst right out of his soul, but still stuck with him afterwards.

He slowly opened his eyes. He was somewhat dizzy, and he thought he had woken up from some crazy illusion when he meditated about what he had just supposedly done and what led to that change of events. The fact that his soul was still faintly gleaming told him otherwise, but he questioned reality for several seconds nevertheless.

He weakly looked around. He was unexplainably tired, and he rubbed his eyes for good measure as he shakily stood up; what he was seeing was most definitely not a hallucination, and he truly did just cause an eruption of power. Even though… it was a minor detail, but had his gloves always had that shade?

That shade, and… that belt…? And those black sleeves…?

_What…?_

_“Whoa–“_ Dream stumbled back, realizing with full puzzlement that he was literally _someone else_. His attire was completely different, so much that he barely even recognized himself. The cape that he’d held so dearly, torn to shreds, was completely stylized, and his outfit had been replaced by a robe and some sort of black bodystocking underneath.

While he gazed at himself in utter awe and confusion, the same sea of unbridled, hopeful emotions began to surround him again, and he just realized how strong he felt compared to literally any time before. He didn’t feel weakness or even fear, though the cold was unavoidable. He felt as hopeful as he would have always wished to be, and he soon ceased marveling at the handiwork of his own magic when he noticed he was free.

There were no bars to keep him imprisoned and isolated anymore, and the others had been freed as well, but seemingly unwilling to step out. Dream had to idly stare in front of him for a moment, disbelieved. What had just happened? In only a few minutes, he had seen a vision of his brother, had strengthened his soul, and had somehow transformed himself. It was almost too crazy to be true, but it was happening.

Gaining his composure, Dream hesitantly stepped out, making sure there was nothing dangerous roaming around first. A breeze of relief greeted him when he saw nothing down the ominous corridor; no Nightmare and no guarding Papyruses, and he fully stepped out. To the left was the darkest hall he’d ever seen; to the right seemed to be some sort of staircase, faintly seen.

Now or never.

Even if he was still utterly confused, Dream gladly let newly obtained confidence take over his fear and anxiety. The frightened, beaten creatures crawled and limped into the closest they had to freedom, all eyes on a determined guardian who wouldn’t rest until they all got out of that living nightmare. The warm glow of his soul seemed to lift their spirits.

There was no other way around that. If he had to fight to get out of there, so be it. He still remembered how to get out of that dimension; right outside the castle, beyond the gates that surrounded it, was a giant blob that surrounded the entire timeline like a bubble. Leaping through it made way to any randomly chosen universe.

The hard part would be to locate the outside of the castle; he had never been in the dungeon, and it was bad enough that it looked like a maze, but that was most definitely not going to stop him. The biggest obstacle would be Nightmare, but he wasn’t there yet; he would still have to hurry, though, otherwise his chances of escaping wouldn’t be as granted.

“Let’s go.”    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be longer, but... whoops, cliffhanger-mania. ;D
> 
> And we say hello to Dream's new design that I've recently fallen in love with; but this wasn't a last minute thing, our little guy had been planned to shift from one design to the other for quite a while now. :P We're getting closer to the true action.


	19. Once a Guardian, Always a Guardian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was being selfish. It wasn’t about him – it was about everyone; about his friends, about his family, about the whole multiverse. It was true that he wasn’t strong, and that he had let everyone down before, but he had a chance again. Even with only half a soul, he could still set things right. Perhaps it was farfetched, perhaps it wasn’t. He just knew it wasn’t over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why do i take so long to update. ;-;

It was all a panic.

A silent panic, mostly, but people hurriedly speaking among themselves with tears in their eyes and critters pacing unsurely weren't missing from the scene. The battle had already left most of them confused, scared and tired, but everything afterwards broke them inside, tore the small hope they had away without pity. It was as if they had relived their past, a past that had forever scarred them and that they truly wanted to forget, with the only difference being their efforts to keep themselves and those they cared for alive. Again, Nightmare had brought chaos. Again, their one and only guardian had been taken away.

Again, they were hopeless.

Whilst Abu and a heavily distressed Arel tried to pacify the frightened village, Papyrus promptly realized that there was someone who needed more help than all those people together. He had seen it coming since the moment he saw his brother mindlessly run after Dream; Blueberry's anxiety was slowly building into a panic attack again, and he had first noticed when he saw those damned glitches clouding his eyesocket. It reminded him of Error… and that was  _not_ something he was willing to remember.

Seeing as he had his own problems that only he could and should solve, Core, Sci and Shenshe went to take care of the villagers as well, leaving him his time to try and calm Blueberry down. He gave them a nod of agreement before rushing towards his cowering sibling without making too much of a fuss; Blueberry often got scared of everything and everyone when he was like that, no matter who or what.

"hey… bro?"

Papyrus slowly crouched beside his shivering brother, hugging himself with ragged breathing. It had been some time since he hadn't gone through a panic attack, and Papyrus had nearly forgotten how much that sight hurt him. He couldn't even be sure if Blueberry knew he was there, comforting him. He looked so… horrified, almost as much as he was when he killed Error. The memories felt like daggers of fire.

"H-HE'S GONE… WE… W-WE LOST HIM… WE LOST HIM AGAIN… EVERYTHING'S L… L-LOST… WE… WE FAILED HIM… W-WE PROMISED AND WE  _FAILED HIM_ …"

Blueberry threw his hands over his skull as though he was trying to fend off a vicious headache while trying to get rid of mocking voices in his head, tears streaming down his eyes. Papyrus felt a heavy lump in his heart at seeing him so devastated and afraid.

Though skeptical, the eldest reached out a hand and softly placed it on Blueberry's shoulder; he flinched, lightly, but at least his eyes panned to his brother. His pupils were so small, and even a darker shade of blue… it was saddening, but Papyrus still mustered the hope to act confident enough to reassure him.

"we're gonna solve this, okay?" he almost whispered, but Blueberry gave him no answer; he was looking at him, barely, but no true attention seemed to be paid. Seeing this, Papyrus' expression mellowed, and he placed both hands on each of his shoulders so that true eye contact was made; he made sure the hold wasn't firm. Papyrus could feel how much his brother was trembling. "hey. bro, i'm here. i'm here, okay?"

Blueberry didn't answer him, and it seemed like he was averting his gaze. Tears of cyan prickled at his eyes without falling, and it wasn't exactly sadness what was powering them, but fear, guilt and regret. Papyrus lowered his gaze so their eyes fully met, but the smaller skeleton was still looking aside with clear uneasiness plastered on his expression.

"come on, i'm here, i'm with you. i'm gonna make sure you're okay."

The blue skeleton's breathing was still hitched and shaky, but at least he was looking at his brother. That was one step forward. "calm down. breathe. it's gonna be fine, just settle down, have a rest..."

Blueberry seemed about to complain about his brother's reassurance, but he quieted himself and did as told; he tried his best to ease his breathing, but he didn't have as much luck trying to ease his nerves in general. He couldn't stop shivering and wasn't able to get rid of the buzzing in his head.

"we're gonna solve this whole mess. we will, okay? just give it a little time..."

Something immediately told him he had done something wrong when Blueberry's eyes widened and he pulled himself away, "NO, WE CAN'T GIVE IT A LITTLE TIME! WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING NOW! WE... HAD TO... THAT'S THE REASON THIS IS EVEN HAPPENING...!"

He wasn't entirely crying, but he was sobbing in despair, and something painful wrenched the older brother's heart as he helplessly watched his pacific, innocent brother being consumed by relentless sadness and guilt. He just couldn't bear the sight.

He had to try.

The sheer negativity in the air tried to prevent him from gaining hope and courage, but he felt them anyway. After a despairing moment of trying not to cry, Blueberry side-glanced at Papyrus when he stood up with determined, narrowed eyes and turned to look at the others. Sci and Core were close by, and they promptly noticed the confident look directed towards them.

"we have to do something." the skeleton stated. " _anything_. and we have to do it now."

Blueberry stopped sniveling and rubbed his tears off as he watched his brother walk towards the others, almost with a look of sorrowed admiration. Sci blinked at Papyrus' sudden urge; there were so many things wrong going on, so much to be done... They were needed all around, and they surely couldn't handle everything simultaneously.

"Hold on, we have to think this through, we can't just-"

"who knows how much time we have?" Papyrus cut him off, and the scientist took a small step back; he was definitely angry. "we had all the time in the world before, but now the whole multiverse depends on us more than ever. there are no more mistakes; this  _is_  our last mistake, can't you see that? we have to do something while we still can or everything will be irremediably gone forever. we  _have_  to."

Core seemed about to complain about his burning spirit and dangerous hastiness, but Abu stepped between them before more words could be spoken; even though he understood Papyrus' point, he knew the trail of negative energy that had prevailed there would soon turn it into a harmful argument. "He is right. With the correct choices, you can still save Dream... but I'm afraid it would be a difficult and hazardous task."

"I'D DO ANYTHING." the blue skeleton's teary voice chimed in, and all eyes looked in his general direction as he stood up, gaze low. "I DON'T WANT ANYBODY ELSE TO SUFFER IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. PLEASE. THERE HAS TO BE SOME WAY."

Arel and Shenshe joined the group as Abu thoroughly pondered, running a hand through the snowy beard. Blueberry didn't like the seriousness and worry in his closed eyes, and he couldn't help but expect a dangerous solution. "Nightmare has a timeline of his own. A world of pure darkness. That is where he takes anyone who defies him, including some of our warriors whose courage led them through the wrong path... Dream must have been taken there."

 _"Yes... I do know of this pocket dimension."_  Core quietly said, nervous.  _"But finding it seems almost impossible. I have seen people being taken there... but it appears to be completely secluded, even more so than the anti-void."_

Abu sighed. "I do not know how to find it myself... but I do know that, given the nature of that world, Dream will soon succumb to that monstrous accumulation of negative energy. We must find a way in as soon as possible."

"...maybe..." Sci held a hand to his chin, musing. "Maybe Ink knows something. His timeline is supposed to hold portals to all timelines, right?"

 _"Not all of them..."_  Core grieved.  _"Many pocket dimensions or isolated and special universes are not accessible from there. Not even Dreamtale is."_

"WE HAVE TO TRY." Blueberry stated, letting his sorrow turn into a fighting spirit he would not let go of. "ANYTHING HELPS. IF THERE IS A PORTAL, THERE WILL BE A PORTAL. IF THERE IS A HINT, THERE WILL BE A HINT. IF THERE IS NOTHING... WE WILL KEEP LOOKING. WE CAN'T JUST GIVE UP AND BELIEVE EVERYTHING IS LOST."

He was fully aware of the reassuring smile Papyrus gave him, and it only added to the vivid fire that was urging him onwards, but he was also fully aware of the danger he was willing to put himself in. Abu smiled at them, too, even uttering a small and quiet chuckle of contained joy. "You are brimming with hope, powered by brave souls. Your efforts will not be in vain, that I can assure you. Now go; fight for your freedom. The entire multiverse is counting on you."

The four friends nodded vehemently, though understandable hesitation could still be perceived. However, as Sci swiped a hand over his portal watch to open a gap to the Doodle Sphere, a courageous, firm and decisive voice caused them to turn around. "I'm going with you."

Arel stood proudly, sheathing his sword. In his eyes was nothing but courage and confidence, but Papyrus still looked at Abu for any signs of approval; he didn't want to endanger anyone by blindly allowing them to do something as dangerous, and he didn't want to break a family.

"I am too."

Even Arel seemed surprised when Shenshe hopped by his side, scarlet eyes beaming bravery and a fanged smirk hiding any fear and regret. The human didn't complain about her self-inclusion, and smiled at the white critter when she gave him a determined look of approval. Abu contemplated the both of them for a moment, and he closed his eyes with a smile of his own.

"The fact that you are willing to risk your life speaks much about you, child..." He looked up at the others, managing to cover any hints of sadness. "You need as much help as possible. Never turn down the help of brave souls like these."

Seeing his words as approval, they got ready to leave, though Arel didn't immediately follow and turned around. For a moment, for just a moment, clear signs of regret could be seen in his eyes, but he was not about to back down. "I'll come back, Grandfather."

"I do not doubt it, child."

And so, through sudden hesitation and the smallest hint of regret, Arel followed the others with a deep breath. "Alright, let's go save the world. For real this time."

The old man watched the courageous group leave through the portal, though he couldn't get rid of that ache deep in his heart. His eyes looked up into the sky, the monotone and lifeless sky, and he wondered how cruel fate could become. He couldn't stop thinking about how terrified Dream had to be...

* * *

That was better. So much better. The amount of power that old hag sustained wasn't even that much, but he still felt stronger; he could truly see that something was missing indeed. Victory had never been so gratifying, and with just one more soul to go, he would be the supreme being once and for all.

He had gotten the chance to try out any new powers back in the Omega Timeline, even though he didn't seem to have gained any ability he didn't already have. Still, anything he had already been able to do had doubled in strength. An irrational Geno had dared to stand up against him, and he barely lasted a minute. One single swipe had been enough to rupture more than a few of his ribs before he was finished off for his insolence, and Toriel hadn't had much luck either.

Nightmare would have wanted their deaths to be slower and more painful if they were ultimately to go, but the new energy and anger at being challenged did the quicker job for him. It felt strange to say that he would have to be a tad more careful with Dream. There was still a lot of physical and psychological pain for the younger skeleton to endure if that pathetic bond was ever to be broken, but one wrong move and he would get the both of them killed.

Speaking of strange things, it was rather odd to perceive a bigger positive aura somewhere around. Dream's arrival had broken the endless cycle of negativity with the small aura his poor excuse of a soul emitted, but what Nightmare discerned was definitely more powerful and out of place, enough to refrain him from his thoughts of world domination to ponder.

It made no sense. He had made sure Dream was actually unconscious before he left as to not make the same mistake as last time, and he had no reason to feel hope. He was probably overthinking it; he wasn't yet used to a trail of disgusting positivity contaminating his timeline, so it being more potent had to be his mere imagination.

It wasn't until a few of his underlings, morphed into fast-moving shadows, rushed right past him that he knew something was simply not working fine, and he gave the hasty specters an indignant glare for nearly having run him over before he directed it at an incoming one; the dark creature immediately stopped and changed back into his corporeal form, and Nightmare didn't even bother identifying him. 98. Forgettable.

 ** _"Ẁh͞at i͡s go̶in̢g on." ͏_** he snarled, forcing the Papyrus to take a step back.

**_"i-i-it's dream, my lord. he's escaped. and he's freed everyone else too."_ **

Nightmare froze in disbelief. Disbelief, and boiling anger and frustration.

* * *

" _whoa_ , what the–"

Everyone had the same reaction as the tall skeleton when they burst through the portal, expecting a sight they were already used to but being forced to stop dead on their tracks in shock, nearly trampling each other as the swirling gap disappeared behind them.

The Doodle Sphere looked like the apocalypse. The sky was dark as night, the wind was roaring, the rain came down like a waterfall; a peaceful place had become a hellhole.

It just came to a very distressed Blueberry that they had been a long time away from there, and the last time Ink saw Dream – or  _supposedly_  saw Dream, based on what he knew about the spirit's limited prowess – was when he was nearly killed and driven to suicide. If Ink was actually aware of it, he surely had to be worried sick. He probably thought everyone had died given that they never returned after the incident.

"Uh... nice weather?!" Arel managed to say, covering his face from the raging raindrops and loose grass with one hand while Shenshe clutched on to his leg for support against the gale. For a creator's world, he had expected something bizarre and pretty at the same time, not a spontaneous tempest that gave off nothing but bad vibes.

"Just what on Earth happened here?" Sci stressed, fearing the wind would blow him off; it was certainly strong enough to do that. He startled when he saw Blueberry rush in front of them, thinking the powerful gale had actually overpowered him.

"INK! INK, STOP, WE'RE HERE! WE'RE FINE! PLEASE, WE NEED YOU!"

His cries into the dark sky seemed to mean nothing for a while, as would normally be expected, but his sorrowed gaze never looked anywhere else until the wind began to slowly mellow, much to his surprise. It was still there, and the rain didn't cease at all, but Blueberry still took it as a sign of having caught Ink's attention, and he suppressed a sigh as he took a step forth.

Awed eyes replaced fearful ones as everyone gazed up. Despite his wish to make things right, Blueberry hadn't actually expected Ink to acknowledge him as easily, but he had no time to waste.

"WE'RE SORRY FOR NOT LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED... BUT WE COULDN'T BRING OURSELVES TO LEAVE DREAM'S SIDE. HE RECOVERED AFTER THE LAST TIME HE WAS HERE, A- AND EVEN HAS SOME KIND OF SOUL BACK...! BUT... HE... HE WAS KIDNAPPED AND TAKEN TO NIGHTMARE'S TIMELINE. THAT'S WHERE WE NEED YOU. WE NEED TO KNOW IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT PLACE."

Looks of sheer expectation were plastered on everyone's faces, and the sound of the rain seemed drowned out as they awaited any sort of answer from the fallen creator with their hearts almost beating out of their chests. If they didn't find a clue there... they didn't know where else they would find it. Words were one thing; actions were another, especially when they had little time to think.

Nobody expected the worst, but nobody expected something exceedingly good either. Ink was not physically there, and there was only so much he could do, if even. All expectations were neutral, but that soon collapsed after a few seconds when the tempest picked up the pace after a startling burst of lightning.

Blueberry could only guess a storm symbolized sadness and regret... and that thought didn't help. The dismay he felt made him feel numb for a moment that seemed to last forever, and he didn’t even know why he wasn’t crying. He wanted to and he had to, but he couldn’t.

"He doesn't know..." Sci muttered. He could practically see all hope being shattered.

* * *

Run.  _Run_. Run  _faster._

Making sure all the prisoners left as safely as they possibly could had been one thing; getting away from the guards himself was another, and it wasn't precisely easy when they took their attention off the fleeing critters to chase after him. He wasn't able to summon magic, so resorting to escaping had been his choice; too bad those skeletons were dangerously fast when morphed into clouds of darkness.

He still didn’t believe he had managed to dodge flying swords thrown at him, avoided getting cut off, and found his bearings through the maze of darkness that was that damned dungeon. He'd been running through the endless set of corridors for quite some time, and more and more skeletons joined the persecution until Nightmare's appearance jeopardized the chase. Dream fought against exhaustion and kept running for dear life; his brother wasn't precisely happy with his getaway.

Turning sharply whenever he had the chance helped him gain some distance, even though the constant glint of his soul gave away his position, but he still had to find a way out. All he had to do was reach the very end of that world and he would be relatively safe, but that was much easier said than done. At least, some luck remained by his side when he rushed past a different corridor, only to immediately halt to go back and check.

Indeed. Stairs.

The shadows were gaining on him thanks to that sudden stop, and he desperately rushed up and only wished he would find his way to freedom right in front of his very eyes.

Just as luck came, it left; out of the dungeon was nothing but another maze that was definitely not there before, and he probably should have thought about his escape better. He wasn’t just anywhere. He was in Nightmare’s domain; a world he had full control of. Only his rules were played there, and through regret, Dream knew escaping wouldn’t be as easy as simply outrunning the specters.

He didn’t have enough time to carefully plan out what to do next, so he kept running, trying not to go in a straight line as to confuse the huge cloud of darkness that was right behind him. Swords still tried to put an end to his escape at the same time sharpened bones emerged from the ground and attempted to cut off his way.

He was getting tired. Seriously tired. The power his soul emitted wasn’t the kind of power that gave him endless stamina – something he would gladly appreciate. He would have to both outrun and outsmart those madmen if he wanted a single chance to get out of there.

Unlike in the dungeon, the walls had no roof, and Dream tried to find any sort of hint of being near the way out of that hellish castle, but all he saw were odd stars that should not belong there. The maze was seemingly endless; he was actually losing confidence.

He risked a glance back; the ominous fog sharply turned a corner and was barreling straight towards him again. Time to turn.

There was a crossroad a few feet in front of him, and he found himself frantically choosing between left and right as he approached. There were no decisions to be made; everything he did had to be done out of last-minute choices, and so, right it was. He still glanced behind him before panning his eyes back to whatever was in front of him.

Everything around him stopped; his brilliant choice had led him to a dead end.

He halted immediately, but quickly got over the shock; those murderous shadows weren’t _that_ close to him. If he was fast enough, he would still have time to take a different path. Gritting his teeth, he hurriedly turned around, not caring which of the two other ways he would take given that he knew they wouldn’t be another blind alley.

It was too bad Nightmare and the others actually caught up before he could get out, and he stopped dead on his tracks.

**_“Well, well… looks like we caught a fleeing butterfly.”_ **

Morphing back into corporeal beings and unsheathing their swords, the dark Papyruses laughed balefully along with Nightmare. All Dream could think of was that he’d been stupid, absurdly stupid for not being entirely aware of his surroundings.  What was he supposed to do? Surely he had strength of will, but not any magic he was aware of.

Don’t show fear. _Don’t show fear._

 ** _“Aww, where were you going in such a hurry? I hope you weren’t trying to stop me from getting that other soul. You are rather late by now.”_** Nightmare broke into an ominous chuckle as he began to leisurely advance, and any trait of confidence Dream sported immediately faded unwittingly as he backed away. **_“And speaking of souls… see why I told you I didn’t trust you with that thing? Look at the hopeless ‘hero’ it’s turned you into. And by the way, you look ridiculous.”_**

Dream kept an eye on the dark skeletons behind his brother; some chuckling, some brandishing their weapons, some baring their fangs like feral animals. For a moment, he wished he had never gotten the idea of trying to escape so recklessly.

**_“You still haven’t learnt anything, have you? Things are never meant to end in violence; you make everything difficult and then pretend to be right. You would be better off understanding reality for just once. Th͏e͜r͞e͏ ͘i̶s̷ no͠ pl̴ace f̶or dr̛ea͞me̢rs̨ ̛in͢ this̡ w̧orl̴d̨.̢”_ **

Dream flinched when his back met the wall behind him, and all chances shattered even further. His soul was still glowing. He didn’t know why. He was devoid of courage, of ideas, he was afraid, he wanted to go back and pretend that whole ordeal had never happened. But something still urged him on, told him he couldn’t give up, and he raised a hand against his chest protectively as the melting skeleton kept advancing.

**_“̷Let’s ge̸t t̵his͡ ̢ov͝er̴ w͠ith̨.̸”͝_ **

Something clicked in his mind.

Almost as if something had… snapped.

He was being selfish. It wasn’t about him – it was about everyone; about his friends, about his family, about the whole multiverse. It was true that he wasn’t strong, and that he had let everyone down before, but he had a chance again. Even with only half a soul, he could still set things right. Perhaps it was farfetched, perhaps it wasn’t. He just knew it wasn’t over.

Because he remembered everything. He remembered what he had always fought for and why. He remembered all the times he had saved people. All the times he had made them happy. He remembered that his brother was somewhere in there. He would never know what he could do if he didn’t try, if all he did was just stand there, cowering in fear and letting Nightmare take his soul.

He was done fearing for his life.

He was done being a mere bystander.

He was everyone’s last hope. He couldn’t let anybody else down.

His hand balled into a fist as the glow in his chest slowly grew brighter, and he closed his eyes tightly as his mind raced back into reality and pushed all pessimistic thoughts away.  He was a guardian, not a coward. He had come a long way. If he had to fight to save the world… so be it.

“You want my soul…?”

His eyes snapped open; one glowing in a haze of gold, the other surrounded by a haze of grey. One side of him was still afraid, and sorrowed, but the combination of opposing emotions was what was powering him. His hand became enveloped by a grey fog, like the one he had somehow learnt to use some time ago; only he actually _knew_ how to control it that time.

_“Then take it!”_

He swept his hand horizontally with force, sending a blade-like burst of smoke towards Nightmare and the others; the former blocked it, but the Papyruses standing in front were actually pushed back by the sudden attack, and one of them, having taken a more direct hit, disintegrated into thin air. Nightmare looked back in actual shock before glowering back at his brother.

He squinted as small, turquoise flashes of light sparkled in front of Dream like lightning, slowly but surely forming a shape. The determined skeleton confidently took the ethereal bow like a proud warrior, and summoned a single arrow that was aimed at the melting skeleton without regret.

“You’re not winning this time, _brother._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Really want to write the next chapter. Dayum.
> 
> it's time to kick nightmare off the table. or is it?


	20. The Last Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He tried to steer past the fact that Nightmare was dead silent, just idly staring at him, because for some reason, it made him want to cry. When was the last time he’d been able to stand anywhere near his brother without need to hold out a weapon or be ready to flee? Had there ever been a moment where Nightmare hadn’t been inclined to attack him in any way? Had he ever been so… intent on hearing him? Dream didn’t know if he was listening or not, but as long as he didn’t try to stop him…

**_"Heh. Heh_** ** _̶_**   ** _̢_** ** _heh h_** ** _͞_** ** _e_** ** _̧_** ** _h̀_**   ** _̧_** ** _h_** ** _͝_** ** _eh._** ** _We'll see about that."_**

Under Dream's attentive gaze, the endless maze that had nearly cost him his life proved to be Nightmare's doing when all the dark walls slowly scattered into thin air like dust, letting him see where he was: right outside the castle, and the way to freedom was treacherously behind Nightmare and his henchmen and protected by a sharp-edged fence that he remembered fairly well.

It was a fact – if he wanted to get out, a fight was unavoidable.

The many specters immediately retreated at a mere warning glare Nightmare gave them. Once most of the maze disintegrated out of sight, Dream immediately snapped his gaze back to his grinning brother, never taking his aim off him. He couldn't lose him from his sight; he couldn't kill him yet, but he didn't know to what extent he could go to make him give up and take his soul. He had gladly nearly killed him for mere fun, so he would expect anything.

**_"About time you actually stood up for yourself."_** the dark skeleton taunted, a grin so dark and menacing that would make anybody think twice about fighting him. It wasn't like Dream had any other choice, though.  ** _"Normally, I wouldn't be so approving, but this ought to be very,_ v** **̵** **er** **͘** **y _interesting."_**

Dream didn't move despite the baleful tone, a blazing glare planted on his brother. Fear was his worst enemy; a single fleck of unease could and would seal his fate.

Nightmare flashed a mocking smirk. He didn't believe for a second his sibling would ever go right ahead and just attack him with something actually harmful. He was too boldly diplomatic for such a thing, and if it wasn't a bluff to make himself look brave and selfless, then he didn't know what it was.  ** _"Since you're so eager to fight me, I'll let you make the first move."_** He saw Dream slightly flinch, and he couldn't help but give a small chuckle at that. ** _"Go ahead. Start this off."_**

To further prove that there was no trick and he really wasn't about to start the fight, he didn't make a single movement when Dream's eyes narrowed as he tensed his bow, completely nonchalant about the threat. He wondered what it would take to actually anger Dream. That would be certainly interesting to see, and with such a lesser foe, there was always time for some psychological discouragement.

It didn't take long for the young skeleton to realize that he couldn't shoot. The action was vivid in his mind, but his arms wouldn't move; they were trembling at best. He didn't know what to make of it. He wasn’t even frustrated about it, he was just… disconcerted.

He had fought his brother many times, countless even, mostly in self-defense, but he had never used any harmful weaponry against him aside from flashes of light. That, however, was the past. He was armed with a new weapon that could very well be actually dangerous for Nightmare; arrows made out of light? That would definitely hurt him to a greater extent, and he had a gargantuan reason to fight as lividly as he could.

Yet, Dream couldn't see himself fighting his brother like that. He couldn't even see himself holding a potentially lethal weapon, yet there he was. 

Arguing with his mind didn’t let him realize how distraught he was, and thus he never tried to hide his obvious look of hesitation as his eyes panned between the bow and the melting creature a few feet in front of him unsurely. Nightmare let him know he had noticed his doubt with a jeering laugh, but that still didn't give him any reason to attack or even move.

**_"I knew it. Even with those cheesy, corny feelings back, you're still nothing but a pathetic weakling that can't even fight for his life. You've always been like that. All talk and no action, too many words for your own good. You don't know how to defend what you believe in without failing miserably at it. It truly is a shame having to live with someone this useless as my_ ** **brother _of all things... Fortunately, that's about to ch_** **_̢_ ** **_an_ ** **_̶_ ** **_ǵe."_ **

Dream snapped out of his unsettled thoughts and dove out of the way when all four of Nightmare's tentacles barreled towards him, and a frantic impulse to defend himself at all costs drove him to shoot as soon as he was well out of Nightmare's way. Being a hurried and unplanned attack, the shimmering arrow only brushed past the black arm, but that small wince didn't go unnoticed.

It left a small tear in what would be his jacket, slowly fixing itself as Nightmare glanced at it with bewilderment suppressed by fury.

Silence took over, both siblings glaring at each other threateningly. The Papyruses backed further away – everyone had a terribly bad feeling about how things were going to end. Dream was pushing his luck; they remembered what happened to the last comrade that went a little too far when it came to courage... Well. 

**_"Huh. Perhaps you're not_** **that _weak anymore..."_**  Nightmare muttered, before smirking. **_"_** ** _̵_** ** _Bu_** ** _̢_** ** _t_** ** _̕_** ** _we_** ** _̕_** ** _’_** ** _ll_** **_s_** ** _̕_** ** _ee how l_** ** _͡_** ** _on_** ** _͞_** ** _g_** ** _̕_** ** _you_** ** _͡_** **_͞_** ** _c_** ** _̢_** ** _an k_** ** _͞_** ** _eep_** ** _͢_** ** _that_** ** _̡_** ** _up_** ** _._** ** _"_**

He tried to trap his brother again, but what Dream lacked in strength, he made up for with improved speed and agility. With renewed fighting spirits, it became harder to catch him, and that was a downside for Nightmare. He knew it wasn't easy for him to control his rage when he was in a worthy fight, event that rarely ever happened, and could become blindly violent in a split second. He was still facing the danger of destroying himself if he crossed the line.

"What you're doing is nonsense, can't you see that?!" Dream shouted, shooting again and managing to hit Nightmare's arm. A stinging pain he wasn't used to made him growl as he yanked the arrow off, glaring at Dream with unadulterated fury. He was only listening to his prattle to find any weak point that would give way to an easy victory and not be forced to use more violence than he should.

Seeing as Nightmare had momentarily stopped attacking, Dream lowered his guard, but his aim was never off the melting creature. "What will you do once you have control over the multiverse? Nobody can withstand so much misery, everyone has a breaking point." His voice almost cracked. Oh, he knew that so well. Both he and Ink did. "Everyone will die in the end if you just keep torturing them. And then you'll be alone, and unable to ever die as well. Nothing lasts forever. You're destroying yourself like this!"

The amount of concern in his words felt odd, but not entirely out of place to him. Nightmare was looking at him with an inscrutable expression, and he almost thought his reasoning had miraculously worked to an extent. It, however, appeared to mean absolutely nothing to his brother as he broke into a cruel fit of mirth while he continued to leisurely circle the other skeleton.  ** _"Either you know nothing about the multiverse, or you forgot the basics of it. None of the two would surprise me."_**

Dream withdrew the next arrow with only a speck of hesitation, genuinely confused. "H-huh?"

**_"That mediocre artist friend of yours was never_ ** **the _creator of universes. The multiverse acts on its own. We're just part of a tractable balance. As this whole thing takes place, dozens of new universes will be made. And while it's true that without a stable balance they will be bland, and lifeless, they will exist nevertheless, and thus the multiverse will never die, and I will never run out of useless people to entertain me."_**

A wave of despair and disbelief washed over Dream, his arms lowering. "You mean... everyone will suffer, even right after they're created...?"

Nightmare gave a careless shrug, a hateful grin.  ** _"Pretty much. I have to live off of something."_**

It took Dream a moment to sink that horror in. To visualize the living nightmare his brother was about to turn the multiverse into, as if it wasn’t bad enough already. He shuddered with only thinking about it. Nobody would ever even have the chance to feel happiness. Everything would be destruction, chaos, sadness, violence, desperation... and Nightmare would be on top of it all, enjoying everything. A beautiful world would become hell.

And he was the only one who could stop it.

He knew what he was fighting for. And he embraced that thought and its strength.

"We are not your puppets." Dream muttered quietly, eerily darkly. He looked up at Nightmare with the same grey and gold hazes illuminating each of his narrowed eyes, beaming determination and courage. "You don't own this world, and you _never_ will. You can't do whatever you please." He aimed at Nightmare again, not with one but three arrows at the same time. "Not while I'm still breathing."

His brother wasn't at all faced by his words; he found amusement in them, but hints of anger and frustration couldn't be missed behind that grin. Perhaps messing around with him could be postponed after that vital energy was taken from him; it felt strange to think so, but Dream could actually put up a decent fight if he wanted to. Those arrows _did_ hurt, after all. **_"We will have to fix that, then.”_**

Sensing an attack, Dream shot before Nightmare had a chance to strike first, and moved out of the way; two arrows were swatted away, but one stabbed through his abdomen, to which he visibly complained. He quickly turned around to face his brother; about to shoot again, but that was about the end of his luck. Nightmare grinned for a split second before morphing into a cloud of darkness and darting past Dream, leaving a trail of freezing cold through him that momentarily disoriented him. The arrows did nothing to the black mass aside from phasing through.

Needless to say, Dream was taken aback by the stratagem, but he had little to no time to react appropriately before a sharp pain ran through his spine as he was forcefully bashed, harshly colliding against the cold floor, and he could've sworn he heard something cracking. He had a moment to panic; he had fallen over his arm, and it would be disastrous if he’d broken it.

Dream shook his head, and he forced himself to ignore the ache in his back so he could retrieve his fallen weapon before it was too late. He could get up without difficulty at least, which meant his arm was relatively fine, but that, however, was not what mattered at all. He hadn't expected Nightmare to be fast enough to snatch the bow away just seconds before he could reach it, but that was the least of his worries when the three other tentacles stormed towards him, coiling tightly around him and rendering him motionless.

His struggles accomplished nothing. He couldn't fight out of that deathtrap no matter how desperate he was to, and he was suddenly staring into a cold eye and a content grin that made him stop; the relishing chuckle in response didn’t help. He almost gasped, but he wasn't willing to show fear in front of his brother. Not like it was precisely easy when he was utterly helpless against him, though…

**_"See? All talk and no action. You couldn't even see that coming despite having fought against me innumerable times. I thought you would have learnt to expect the unexpected by now."_ **

Dream tried to free himself again, but to no avail. He was not feeling dread, and that did not surprise him; he felt frustration instead, frustration and shame, defeat and anger, and it all consumed him. He couldn't care less if having been caught had or had not been his fault. He couldn't do anything. Even with flowing power, he had been defeated. Even with flowing power, he was still at his brother's mercy.

Dismay had never hurt so much.

**_"I actually expected more from you. Way more. And yet, you disappointed me again. I also expected that, but I was starting to see you as a worthy opponent for once."_** Nightmare's head tilted in an unsettling way as he glared into Dream's weak eyes; that haze was gone, meaningless without the courage that strengthened it. **_"What would have happened if this was a battle to the death? If you had no chance to correct your pathetic mistakes whatsoever? Mh? What would you have done then?"_**

Dream couldn't help but shamefully avert his gaze, wordless.

**_"Exactly. N_ ** **_͡_ ** **_o_ ** **_̕_ ** **_t_ ** **_͝_ ** **_hin_ ** **_̨_ ** **_g_ ** **_̸_ ** **_.”_ **

He winced when the coils around him tightened, and he was already having trouble breathing. It felt like his ribcage was about to burst, and he just felt powerless. Completely powerless. Useless. Weak. Unworthy. He actually thought he deserved to have his soul taken given that he couldn't even make good use of it; taken, but not handed over to a dark being willing to achieve godlike strength.

That was what powered his disappointment and converted it into inner pain, after all… but what could he do about it? When Nightmare was right, he was right. He could do nothing. Nothing but bear defeat and wait until everything was over. Hopelessly condemn himself and the multiverse, and everyone he cared for with it.

That thought hurt him more than anything else.

…could he really just do nothing while something so big depending on him, and him only? Come think about it, he had already done the unthinkable during hopeless moments, back when the multiverse was still a safe, happy place, flourishing. He still did everything he could to help those in need. He never gave up when a friend needed him the most, and without his bold intervention, things would probably be worse than they already were.

That was what he was there for, was it not? To stand up for others and to never give up when people needed him, especially since Ink was no longer there to do so. It seemed insane, but that was what he had been doing for years without major problems. It wasn’t until something that seemed unstoppable put an end to the meaning of his existence… but did it really? He wasn’t remembering his past for nothing. He could still win, but it would require his very best.

And he was ready for that.

If he couldn’t overpower Nightmare, then he would have to outsmart him. And for that, he had to give him a reason to continue fighting, and he knew it wouldn’t be a lie. He was still his brother, after all. Nobody knew him better. That still was an advantage in certain ways.

“Do you really want to end it like this?” he said, defiantly, but quietly; he couldn’t breathe properly, but he managed to hide his pain. “I thought all you ever wanted was to end our conflict with a _true_ fight. I was never strong enough for that… but I am now. Why would you choose anything else over that? Finish now and let me go back to being someone miserable, or get your wish.” He still needed to provoke him; he knew Nightmare wouldn’t end it if he actually challenged him. “I’m not afraid of you. Maybe you are of me. Is that why you want this over with so desperately?”  

It had to be one of the first times he had ever seen Nightmare genuinely bewildered, looking at him in disbelief and thoughtful silence, but such a rare sight didn’t last for long. That expression of mild, hidden awe was promptly replaced by a menacingly smug one, and Dream’s breath hitched when the pressure threatening to reduce his bones to splinters tightened even further. He only showed regret for a moment; it was not the time to lose his facade.

**_“Saying you’re not right, in a way, would be a blatant lie… but what makes you think you’re suddenly strong enough to stand a chance against me? You barely lasted five minutes, and it wouldn’t be hard to catch you again. Are you really relying on your pitiful words again? How adorable.”_ **

Dream knew he was just trying to dishearten him. It would have worked if it was entirely an act, but part of him knew he _was_ willing to take the risk of going back into a possibly deadly fight. His eyes narrowed, no hesitation shown, “My question remains the same.”

There was that look of bewilderment again. What was surprising was that Nightmare did not only show perplexity that time – he actually flinched at his brother’s spirited statement, and it looked like he just didn’t know what to do. Dream knew he had achieved something out of the ordinary when not even the embodiment of negativity could read unease and hesitation within him. They were there, he knew it, but true resolution kept them hidden away. Fortunately.

Judging by the way he suddenly glowered at him, he could tell Nightmare was not precisely happy about that burst of seemingly crazy courage, but there was a small grin within that hateful glare, and Dream didn’t know what to make of it.

**_“Fine. Here’s your answer.”_ **

Against all odds and his inner thoughts, Nightmare actually let him go. Dream fell on the ground with stifled breathing, clutching an aching arm as he winced. There definitely was some damage there, but as long as nothing was broken…

**_"Get_ ** **_̶_ ** **_u_ ** **_͠_ ** **_p."_ **

He flinched at the angered command, and even though he was drowning in confusion, he obliged, making sure to step further away from his grinning brother just in case. Something told him he had made a mistake, but that he had made a helpful mistake. As long as he was free to move around, he had all he needed.

**_"You wanted a fight? Then you_ ** **will _have a fight."_**

To keep helping the confusion grow, Nightmare tossed the bow back to Dream with that same nonchalant grin. **_"And you'd better up your game. The fact that I can't kill you doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you at all. In fact, you might as well start planning on giving up before things get actually violent. You’re not as strong as you think you are, especially not compared to me."_**

“I’ll never give in to the likes of _you_.”

Another arrow illuminated the dark space and threatened the dark skeleton, but Nightmare only found room to grin. He truly had been waiting for a chance to fight his brother seriously. No running away, no sparing, no giving up. A real fight until only one was standing, and the price for winning was ultimate power. Nightmare had no reason to be mad about anything. In fact, it all promised to be very fun.

**_“I hoped you would say that.”_ **

The battle was promptly resumed, with Dream having a head start and successfully preventing his brother from attacking first by aiming at his arm. The dark skeleton didn’t even bother removing the arrow instantly as he summoned a single Gaster Blaster; a skull of sheer darkness that incited terror, and Dream was forced to change directions when it fired straight towards him.

Those lasers were peculiar, different from the other Sanses’, and that was what was worrisome about them. Nightmare could freely adjust the amount and type of damage they would inflict: they could be the trademark destructive skulls, or disintegrate matter without need of explosive power, or behave like acid, or simply create smoke… Dream had once learnt that the hard way, one of the first times he fought his brother.

“Even if you hate me, I don’t understand why you would ever be so bent on fighting. It’s all you’ve ever done for _hundreds of years!_ Why don’t you just _try_ to wonder why you’re even doing it?”

**_“Ha! Even in a fight like this, you’re still trying to be diplomatic? Oh, Dream, you’re such a_ ** **_j_ ** **_̢_ ** **_ok_ ** **_͝_ ** **_e._ ** **_”_ **

Nightmare summoned three more blasters before Dream could counterattack, and fighting became fleeing as they all fired at the same time. The beams were mostly silent, likely powered by dark magic; it looked like the same dark magic Nightmare had used to torture him, and that only gave him more reasons to stay as far away from those things as possible.

“I’ve done crazy things. I can still do something as crazy as believing my _real_ brother will someday hear me.”

Nightmare growled at the angered statement, a barrage of jagged bones merging from the ground towards Dream. He was quick to jump out of their way, paying the price of nearly being stabbed by the unbelievably sharp, melting appendages of his brother as soon as he landed. Dream didn’t even know how he managed to dodge them all, given that he’d been caught off-guard.

**_“W_** ** _͡_** ** _i_** ** _͜_** ** _l_** ** _͡_** ** _l you_** ** _͘_** ** _e_** ** _͡_** ** _v_** ** _̡_** ** _e_** ** __** ** _r_** ** __****_͘_** ** _let_** ** _̧_** **_̷_** ** _g_** ** __** ** _o of_** ** __****_͘_** ** _th_** ** _̕_** ** _a_** ** _̡_** ** _t_** ** __** ** _d_** ** _̡_** ** _am_** ** _̴_** ** _n p_** ** _̸_** ** _a_** ** _̛_** ** _s_** ** __** ** _t?! It will_** **never _come back. The biggest fault of that hope of yours is how it keeps making you believe in the absurd!”_**

Another demonic skull was summoned, another chance to attack was lost; Dream had to rush out of the way when he realized the dark laser was actually following him, ending its course as it collided against the walls of the castle. Dream couldn’t help but notice that they took no damage whatsoever even though that last blaster was regular. It had to be an impenetrable fortress.

“Hanging on to the past is what made me see the future, Nightmare. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for it, and I’m _glad_ I could remember everything that has ever mattered to me as opposed to throwing everything down the drain!”

The castle’s seeming indestructibility gave him an idea. Nightmare was going to keep sending relentless waves of attacks towards him without leaving him a single chance to counterattack, but that would likely change if only he could strike with something unexpected. He just hoped it went according to plan; he didn’t have time to even think.

**_“Remember_** **wh** **̢** **a** **͟** **t?** **_Those f_** ** _̷_** ** _oo_** ** _̡_** ** _ls_** ** _̴_** ** _? Remember a p_** ** _̕_** ** _ath_** ** __** ** _eti_** ** _͘_** ** _c_** ** _͞_** ** _l_** ** _͘_** ** _ife?_** **_Remember the times where you pranced around in your rainbow world w_** ** _̷_** ** _hile I_** ** __** ** _we_** ** __** ** _nt_** ** _͝_** ** _t_** ** _̷_** ** _hr_** ** _̴_** ** _o_** ** _͘_** ** _u_** ** _̡_** ** _g_** ** _͞_** ** _h_** ** _̷_** **_͜_** ** _hell_** ** _̷_** ** _?!_** ** _”_**

Barely avoiding being grappled, Dream took the one second he had to concentrate on the windows above. He had to be fast; two more blasters were already aiming at him. He still managed to shoot right before they did, jumping out of their destructive way. Nightmare didn’t try to dodge; the two arrows were too inclined, and he laughed mockingly seeing it as a mistake. Dream, however, remained stoic.

“Mistakes are there to be fixed. Too late is not something valid for me.”

The arrows collided against the windows with sharp flashes of light, coming back down and straight towards the furious skeleton as he prepared yet another attack. Nightmare heard them rushing through the air, but wasn’t able to see them before they stabbed through his back. The snarl of pain as he was forced to take a step forth was still as terrifying as any laugh or grin he’d shown, but the seething glare he slowly looked up with was even worse.

**_“You are_** **no one _to talk about mistakes, w_** ** _͞_** ** _h_** ** _͘_** ** _en_** ** _̵_** **_̢_** ** _t_** ** _̡_** ** _hat_** ** __** ** _’_** ** _s a_** ** _͟_** ** _l_** ** _̴_** ** _l_** ** _̢_** ** _yo_** ** _͡_** ** _u_** ** _̵_** ** _d_** ** _̛_** ** _o!_** ** _”_**

All four tentacles rushed towards Dream, and Nightmare never took his demonic glare off his brother as he swiftly dodged his attacks. Angering him that badly hadn’t exactly been Dream’s intention, even though he had been expecting it. His real brother still had to be in there. Those flashbacks and visions couldn’t have possibly been haunting him for no reason at all… those in particular were too lifelike. There was some clue he was missing, but the pieces to solve the puzzle were far out of his reach. He would have to keep trying, somehow, but the easy part was most likely gone.

Had he not been able to dodge, those tendrils would have recklessly pierced through him. Dream didn’t want to enrage Nightmare any further than _that_ , but he still had to try. There could still be a way out of there that would not have to end on any of the two wounded, or even better yet: a way out _with_ his brother.

_“I’m trying to help you!”_ Dream shouted, a cry of inner lament that came right out of his soul, but his growing concern didn’t deter him from shooting at his brother again in order to stop his next attack. He paused when Nightmare swatted his arm to the side – clutching the fast-moving arrow in a fist, and letting it disintegrate into darkness.

Perhaps it was about time to leave words aside.

Nightmare was silent, breathing heavily with unleashed fury. His pupil was nothing but a tiny dot, an add-on to his much more terrifying silhouette as he glared. Dream didn’t move, both staring each other down, but that glower alone was making him feel uncanny dread.

**_“_** ** _͜_** ** _I_** ** _̶_** ** _d_** ** _̵_** ** _o_** ** _̡_** ** _n_** ** __** ** _’_** ** __** ** _t_** **_w_** ** _̵_** ** _a_** ** _̕_** ** _nt_** ** _͡_** ** _Y_** ** __** ** _OU_** ** _̵_** ** _R H_** ** _͏_** ** _E_** ** _͠_** ** _L_** ** __** ** _P!”_**

Two Gaster Blasters materialized out of nowhere at the speed of light, and fired almost too quickly for the eye to catch. Instinctually, grey smoke began to grow around Dream’s ribcage, and he wasted no time before letting that matter travel to his hand and swinging it down; the smoke barreled forward like a wave, forming a hissing shield that successfully stopped the scalding beams.

“But you _need_ it!” Dream shouted back, and he hadn’t actually expected Nightmare to never launch another attack after what he would consider more backtalk. He still saw his intentions, though… and he felt like it was his chance to be the brother he had never been. In the middle of a fateful fight, he still had that urge to stop the nonsensical violence; it wasn’t just an idea or a wish… it was a need.

**_“Why would I_** **ever _need help from an insi_** ** _͘_** ** _g_** ** _͟_** ** _n_** ** _̧_** ** _i_** ** _̧_** ** _fi_** ** _͞_** ** _ca_** ** _̷_** ** _nt_** ** _͘_** ** _b_** ** __** ** _ug like you?”_** Nightmare growled, but Dream stood his ground despite the very clear threat. Five hundred years of existence and he only had one chance to actually make things right the way they should be set right. The consequences could be right or wrong, but the way that would lead to them had to be right, or be lost forever otherwise.

It took the younger skeleton a moment to say anything. Any approach would be dangerous, but as long as it wasn’t dangerous enough to anger his brother to the point of not letting him continue any further, it was viable. Dream actually did something as seemingly crazy as lowering his bow, only to let his honesty shine. If he could get any sort of trust, that would help as well.

“Because you’re wrong.” he finally said, softly, and all traits of a fighting spirit promptly left his eyes to be replaced by heartfelt concern. As he had foreseen, Nightmare wasn’t happy with his statement, but it was quite the occurrence that he hadn’t attacked at the mere mention of being in the wrong.

“Everything you do, everything you believe in… it’s a lie, Nightmare. It’s something you forced yourself to believe. And now it’s stuck with you like it’s the norm, when it’s _not._ ”

The dark skeleton growled silently, but Dream still didn’t back down or change his mind.

“…and it’s because of me… because I never… _did_ anything until now. Everything I did was try to stop _you_ , not… stop what you were becoming… And you’re right to call me useless, because I damage more than I fix when it comes to this.”

He barely realized the seething hostility slowly leaving Nightmare once he heard what he never expected to hear. Dream wasn’t looking at him, mostly because he couldn’t. That same power that urged him on and told him to fight for his life had transformed into something else; into guilt, into pain, and the only way to make them disappear was to let them go. It hurt to do so, but it hurt more to keep them in, and, who knew… they could hold rewards. 

“You think you have everything, but… You don’t have anything. What you think you have is worth nothing, but you don’t understand that… You never needed power to be happy. You already were someone amazing with just being… yourself. When I look back, I see that you were even better than me, but you couldn’t see that either… But if I’d been half as caring as you were, you _would_ have been able to see that. You deserve a better brother than me… That’s why I’m willing to change everything _I’ve_ done wrong.”

He finally looked up with sorrowed willpower, weapon still in his hand though completely forgotten. He tried to steer past the fact that Nightmare was dead silent, just idly staring at him, because for some reason, it made him want to cry. When was the last time he’d been able to stand anywhere near his brother without need to hold out a weapon or be ready to flee? Had there ever been a moment where Nightmare hadn’t been inclined to attack him in any way? Had he ever been so… intent on hearing him? Dream didn’t know if he _was_ listening or not, but as long as he didn’t try to stop him…

He took a small step forth, still bringing no reaction whatsoever from the dripping mass ahead of him. For once in too long, his brother didn’t look like a threat. “And I’m not blaming myself because I think I have to. It’s because I _know_ I have to. You didn’t do anything. You never did anything. I’m the only one who should have done something, but I… I didn’t… And I’ve been blaming myself for ages. The only reason I never tried to let it out is because I _couldn’t…_ But now I can, as long as you just listen… as long as you’re _willing_ to understand…”

Dream found the courage to keep advancing, ever so slowly. There was still no reaction from Nightmare, even though he wasn’t making eye contact anymore, almost… thoughtfully. Was he… _considering_ everything his brother was saying? His expression was too unreadable to tell, and it was unnerving not to know if he was thinking about what he was saying, or machinating all the different ways he would kill him.

“Nothing should be like this. You just need to forget this nonsense. None of this is your fault, but I still need you to try and change, to try and… see something _else_. Not everyone out there is bad. You’re just stuck with that mindset. I can show you otherwise if you just let me help you.”

Mere feet separated them. Dream’s words still didn’t bring any reaction, but the Papyruses were intently staring at him like he was crazy. He knew he was.

“I know you’re not like this. I know you’re still in there. I don’t care what you’ve done as long as my real brother can still hear me. You know I’ll always forgive you. You don’t need to forgive _me_ for being an idiot, though, but… just give me a chance. Let me show you a better world. It’s never too late.” Dream smiled honestly, trying not to let the tears fall as he cautiously reached out a hand. Something in Nightmare’s expression shifted, but he never acknowledged it. “Try. You just… have to tr- _agh–!“_

With one quick motion, Nightmare’s gaze suddenly snapped to stare directly into his brother’s eyes with a look of unbridled wrath as he grasped his extended hand, soon causing the frail bones to crackle. The shock and pain made Dream drop his weapon in an attempt to free himself, but the more he tried, the tighter the hold was until he felt his wrist slowly breaking under the pressure. The shrill twinge caused him to kneel as he did his best not to scream.

**_“Wh_** ** _̕_** ** _a_** ** _̛_** ** _t_** ** _͝_** **_̛_** ** _ga_** ** _̧_** ** _m_** ** __** ** _e_** ** _͜_** **_̧_** ** _a_** ** _̢_** ** _r_** ** __** ** _e_** ** _̕_** ** _y_** ** _̛_** ** _o_** ** _͠_** ** _u_** ** _͠_** ** _p_** ** _̶_** ** _lay_** ** _̵_** ** _ing?_** ** _̢_** ** _”_** Nightmare somberly snarled, a tone so dark and menacing that sent shivers down the other’s spine.

“It’s n-not… I-it’s n-not a g-game…” Dream tried to reason with the unexpected burst of fury, but was silenced by an even tighter grip on his hand. He could hear and feel the bones breaking.

**_“_** ** _̨_** ** _Yo_** ** _̡_** ** _u_** ** _͢_** ** _t_** ** _̵_** ** _hi_** ** _̛_** ** _n_** ** _̵_** ** _k_** ** _̡_** ** _you_** ** _̛_** ** _c_** ** __** ** _an m_** ** _̴_** ** _ess_** ** _̴_** ** _w_** ** _̡_** ** _ith m_** ** _̴_** ** _e,_** ** _̢_** ** _d_** ** __** ** _o_** ** _͡_** ** _n_** ** _’_** ** _t you_** ** __** ** _?_** ** _͡_** **_͟_** ** _Yo_** ** _͜_** ** _u_** ** _͝_** ** _thi_** ** __** ** _n_** ** _̵_** ** _k_** ** _͘_** ** _I_** ** _’_** ** _m a w_** ** _̧_** ** _eak_** ** _̶_** ** _l_** ** _͘_** ** _i_** ** _͢_** ** _ng_** ** _͠_** ** _wh_** ** _̴_** ** _o_** ** _̴_** **_̴_** ** _n_** ** _͡_** ** _e_** ** _̨_** ** _ed_** ** _͘_** ** _s_** ** _͘_** ** _h_** ** _̨_** ** _elp_** ** _,_** ** _d_** ** _̡_** ** _o_** ** _̸_** ** _n_** ** _’_** ** _̕_** ** _t_** ** _̴_** ** _yo_** ** _̵_** ** _u?!_** ** _I_** ** _̷_** ** _’_** ** _͝_** ** _ll_** ** _̨_** ** _s_** ** _͠_** ** _h_** ** _̡_** ** _o_** ** _͞_** ** _w_** ** _̴_** **_͘_** ** _yo_** ** _͞_** ** _u_** ** _̶͘͜_** **_͡_** ** _h_** ** _͟_** ** _o_** ** _͜_** ** _w m_** ** _͜_** ** _u_** ** _̸_** ** _c_** ** _̡͝_** ** _h_** ** _̸_** **_̢̨_** ** _h_** ** _͜_** ** _e_** ** _͜͝_** ** _l_** ** _͟_** ** _p I_** ** __** ** _n_** ** _͡_** ** _e_** ** _̢͢͞_** ** _e_** ** _̵̕_** ** _d_** ** _͡_** ** _!_** ** _”_**

After making sure that wrist was undoubtedly broken, Dream was thrown aside like nothing, unable to hold back a quiet scream as the pain of the damaged bones began to burn. He barely saw two tentacles rushing towards him as soon as he hit the ground, and the only thing he was given time to do was clench his eyes shut, look away and expect even more pain.

Except, that never happened.

He froze when he saw the tendrils just inches above his shoulders, and he was sure they had been supposed to pierce right through them. Nightmare had a look of enraged confusion that he couldn’t quite understand, but the reason why was unnervingly clear to him; maybe too clear to let him see it as the truth.

For the first time in a long time, Nightmare was arguing with himself. There was something strange, almost like a mental sting akin to a static shock that didn’t let him attack no matter how much he wanted to. Something beyond his mind, something beyond what he could comprehend, was stopping the relentless thirst for power with something he just couldn’t understand.

And not understanding made him mad.

The appendages slowly retreated, letting a stunned Dream push himself back. He flinched harshly at the pang in his wrist, and he immediately clutched it with a grunt. He still couldn’t keep his eyes off his brother, though, but not of caution, but out of awe. His words actually got to him, surely, but not the way he would have wanted them to. There was just too much negativity rejecting those memories and chances. He was too far gone.

It almost looked like Nightmare was glitching, and the fact that he actually wasn’t made the twitches more terrifying than they would have been otherwise. Despite the clear puzzlement in his expression, that contracted eye beamed unbridled anger that wouldn’t be retained for much longer. Dream just hoped he wouldn’t be the target to vent that anger on.

Nightmare snapped his gaze towards him, not knowing how to react to the strange, involuntary behavior that was taking over him. It had made him miss a perfect opportunity to just finish what he started; it stole it from him. A bunch of words made him _hesitate_. He had never felt so weak – he didn’t even know why any of what Dream said got to him. He had a sudden urge to just kill him, but he _couldn’t._

**_“_** ** _̸_** ** _Wh_** ** _̧_** ** _a_** ** _̨_** ** _t_** ** __** ** _did_** ** _̕_** ** _yo_** ** _͘_** ** _u_** ** _̡_** ** _d_** ** _̶_** ** _o_** ** _͠_** **_͞_** ** _t_** ** _̴_** ** _o_** ** _̶_** ** _m_** ** _̧_** ** _e_** ** _͟_** ** _?!”_**

He never waited for an answer; a tentacle swoop towards the walls – the _almost indestructible_ walls of a castle made with the same magic that made him the most powerful monster in the remnants of the multiverse – with such force that it smashed right through, leaving raging rocks and debris and smoke behind.

He went on a rampage afterwards; a rather stationary rampage, thankfully, but Dream and the expectant specters were still heavily cautious. One more step from where they were, and if they weren’t swatted to outer space, they’d be cut in half. Dream was still willing to reach his bow while he could, but what was he supposed to do with only one arm? The thought of not being able to fight anymore momentarily stopped him.

He still tried to advance towards his fallen weapon, just in case. In doing so, however, and despite the loud rampage disturbing everything, he caught Nightmare’s attention. Dream didn’t realize until he saw the dark mass rushing towards him in a cloud of smoke, and the same inner instinct that let him create a shield was the same that caused his soul to glimmer brighter than any spotlight could ever wish to.

The flash of golden light was enough to stop Nightmare dead on his tracks, forcing him to regain his corporeal form as he stumbled back with a distorted shriek while his body bubbled and deformed itself. He couldn’t see anything, and it wasn’t because he was covering his eye; everything was _white_.

A golden haze was slowly enveloping his arm, and Dream wouldn’t have noticed had it not been for the searing pain slowly vanishing; he blinked in utter confusion before looking down as the semi-transparent fog disappeared, and he flinched when he unwittingly flexed his phalanges only to realize that it didn’t hurt to do so. His hand was perfectly fine.

Oh, right. Healing magic. He had been devoid of his powers for so long that he had almost forgotten he could do that.

Nightmare was still furiously blathering about his damaged sight, so Dream wasted no time before scurrying towards his bow. Nightmare had _listened_ to him; normally, he would have tried to get his attention back while he could, but he knew it was no use despite an internal struggle not to believe so. There was too much negativity to shift it away with mere words, even momentarily. The damage was done, and those words had already served their part. Dream would have chosen differently if he had more time, but his choices were slim and he had to act fast. He still had to get out of there.

No words were spoken as he hurriedly reached out for the bow; Nightmare didn’t seem to have noticed, but they were still surrounded by sword-wielding skeletons and he didn’t want to risk getting caught by them.

Dream was well aware that his brother had given him a sideways glare as soon as he took his weapon, so he saw that as the perfect hint to shoot right away without any contemplation. He wanted to get _out_ , and he was not willing to stay there any further. Nightmare’s way to deal with confusion was to be as violent as possible, and Dream vividly rejected the invitation to stay in that hellhole.

Two arrows hit the dark skeleton in his shoulder, which caused him to furiously turn around to find the source with a bloodcurdling snarl. There was no target for him to hit, however; Dream had quickly moved out of his way, trying to stay behind him as a way to avoid his almost blind attacks.

Dream kept firing, over, and over, and over again – and the arrows kept hitting, over, and over, and over again, without missing even once. It was mostly because Nightmare was more intent on seizing his brother than on dodging the restless barrage of magic thrown at him, trying almost desperately to stop him, but the smaller skeleton was much faster and nimble than he could react to.

Dream was trying to wear him out; that could be his only chance to escape without danger, but Nightmare seemed to have endless stamina and endurance to hold out like that. It was clear that the many arrows were doing some serious damage to him, but he didn’t show it and kept attacking like he was fine.

He was near the exit to that place, but Dream was reluctant to stop. There was nothing his brother wanted more than limitless power, and if he could do something to stop him from leaving, by all means he _would_. Dream wasn’t about to risk being chased after getting so close – he wanted to make sure his way to freedom was as obstacle-free as it possibly could. For some reason, anger was all he could think of as he kept firing…

He never expected his mind to play such a treacherous trick on him when he needed to focus the most. Never expected to see something as uncanny and scarring, never expected to be at the edge of shooting again and seeing someone _else_ turning to face him. Never expected to see not a psychopathic eye glaring at him, but two normal eyesockets filled with fear, and sadness, and pain, two pinprick sized pupils of indigo reflecting utter dread, endless tears falling off the frightened eyes. Never expected to see a skull of white instead of black, cracked, bleeding, bruised. Never expected to see the being he cared the most for to look at him like he was a monster, silently begging for mercy, asking him _just what on Earth he was doing–_

He stopped. Everything stopped. Three arrows vanished as the weapon was lowered; the same, terrified face he had seen, the one he could not tell had been real or not, became his own as he halted to think it through.

What was he doing?

What had taken over him?

Was being so violent his actual solution?

_Why was he trying to kill his brother?!_

It felt like too long, but his moment of dreadful confusion only lasted for a couple of seconds; a couple of seconds that Nightmare didn’t waste. He did not need any more than that to regain his bearings and grant the unmoving skeleton a rib-breaking swipe that sent him flying, the impact against the cold floor numbing him.

It was Nightmare’s first thought to continue attacking, but he actually needed that moment of quiet to regain his composure after the endless bombardment finally stopped. He could barely remember a moment where he had ever been so exhausted, and in so much pain; everything around him actually felt like it was spinning, and the many scars around him didn’t disappear like any other time.

He wasn’t happy.

Seeing as Dream was mostly motionless, he took his time to catch his breath and stand upright, almost panting. One by one, he pulled all the arrows still stuck in his body out, inevitably wincing at the ridiculously sharp pain that lingered on. And to think his brother of all things had caused that much damage… he didn’t know if to be proud for once, or if to just tear him apart right then and there.

It took him longer than he would have expected to get rid of the blur clouding his vision, but he didn’t need to see more than the out-of-place splotch in the middle of all the darkness. Even through the exhaustion, he still laughed. Quietly, and breathless, but he still laughed.

**_“Alright. You’ve had your fun with the damn thing.”_ **

He snatched the bow while Dream struggled to get up, let him look at it hopelessly for a moment… and tore it in half, letting it disintegrate in midair.

**_“_** ** _̢̢_** ** _N_** ** _̢_** ** _o_** ** _͘_** ** _w_** **_i_** ** _̴͡_** ** _t_** ** _̴̵_** ** _’s_** ** _͝_** **_̧͡_** ** _my_** ** _̷_** ** _tur_** ** _̧_** ** _n_** ** _._** ** _”_**

Dream flinched when a tentacle wrapped around his leg, hurling him like a ragdoll so harshly that he rebounded against the ground.

**_“_** ** _̵_** ** _You_** ** _̡_** **_̶_** ** _pi_** ** _̶_** ** _ti_** ** _̨_** ** _fu_** ** _̕_** ** _l_** **_li_** ** _͞_** ** _t_** ** _̸_** ** _tle_** ** _̕_** ** _r_** ** _͘_** ** _at_** ** _͘_** ** _.”_**

Without giving him time, his arm was grasped and he was thrown against a wall again, falling in a cloud of smoke and rubble.

**_“_** ** _̵_** ** _Y_** ** _͘_** ** _o_** ** _̕_** ** _u_** ** _̸_** ** _thin_** ** _̴_** ** _k y_** ** _̨_** ** _ou can_** ** _͝_** **_͟_** ** _pl_** ** _̛_** ** _a_** ** _̢_** ** _y_** ** _͝_** ** _w_** ** _̕_** ** _i_** ** _͝_** ** _t_** ** _̸_** ** _h_** ** _͘_** **_̕_** ** _me_** ** _͟_** ** _?!”_**

When Dream feebly tried to stand up, he was bashed aside, grappled and smashed against the floor, and then flung again.

**_“I_** ** __** ** _’m_** ** _̶_** **_͢_** ** _t_** ** _̴_** ** _ired_** ** _͡_** ** _of_** ** _͝_** ** _givi_** ** __** ** _ng y_** ** _̷_** ** _o_** ** _͜_** ** _u_** ** _̧_** **_̶_** ** _c_** ** _͞_** ** _ha_** ** _͟_** ** _n_** ** _̧_** ** _ce_** ** _͝_** ** _s_** ** _._** ** _”_**

Two tendrils wrapped around his surely broken ribcage, and he was violently hurled against the same fence he had been intent on reaching since the very beginning. He toppled limply, no movement whatsoever, but Nightmare didn’t fear he had gone too far. He was overwrought by anger, but he still knew how not to kill someone.

He slowly advanced towards the fallen skeleton, ominous fury written on each of his steps. Dream could barely keep his eyes open, and it was utterly impossible for him to get up; merely trying hurt like knives of fire. He was clearly struggling to breathe, and he was already bleeding and had several broken ribs judging by the bloodstain on his side. Nightmare would have preferred to watch him slowly overcome the pain only to receive more afterwards, but he just wanted to get everything over with.

Dream jolted when he realized Nightmare was suddenly right next to him, but he could barely look up at him without feeling like he was going to faint. He had no strength left, and the baleful figure towering over him made him feel insignificant. He couldn’t even respond in any way when Nightmare reached out his hand and growled, **_“Soul. N_** ** __** ** _o_** ** _̸̡_** ** _w_** ** _.”_**

There still was no response. Dream didn’t know why he actually considered giving up his soul for a moment, but he dismissed it.

**_“_** ** _̵_** ** _Y_** ** _̢_** ** _ou_** ** _̢_** ** _h_** ** _͢_** ** _ave fi_** ** _̵_** ** _ve_** ** _͟_** ** _s_** ** _͢_** ** _econ_** ** _̢_** ** _d_** ** _͠_** ** _s to_** ** _̕_** **_͠_** ** _g_** ** _̸_** ** _ive_** ** _͘_** **_̡_** ** _me t_** ** _͟_** ** _h_** ** _̛_** ** _a_** ** _͢_** ** _t thin_** ** _͘_** ** _g_** ** _͘_** ** _o_** ** _͘_** ** _n y_** ** _͟_** ** _our_** ** _͘_** **_̡_** ** _o_** ** _͢_** ** _wn_** ** _̷_** ** _b_** ** _̕_** ** _e_** ** _̷_** ** _f_** ** _͏_** ** _o_** ** _̧_** ** _re_** ** _̢_** ** _I r_** ** _͜_** ** _i_** ** _͠_** ** _p it_** ** _̡_** **_͟_** ** _out_** ** _͘_** **_̷_** ** _of y_** ** __** ** _ou_** ** _̨_** ** _r_** ** _̷_** ** _b_** ** _͜_** ** _od_** ** _̨_** ** _y_** ** _._** ** _”_** ** __**

The way out was just a few feet away, right past the fence inches away from him. Perhaps he was in excruciating pain, perhaps he was bleeding and too close to the end for comfort, but the solution to all of it was _right there._ He could still make it. One more try and everything could change for the better. It was not the time to surrender despite what would seem like common sense.

 “…ngh… no…”

Nightmare was reasonably surprised when Dream actually mustered the strength to push himself up, his arms trembling like thin sticks as he teetered upright, barely capable of maintaining his balance. It took him his time to actually get up, and he regretted it when he did, because he felt like he didn’t even have a body at all.

“I’m not… I’m not d-done yet…”

He coughed, clutching his left side where two broken ribs whilst at the verge of death had left a bloodstain, but he didn’t care as long as he could still stand. A golden haze was weakly surrounding him; fixing the damage, but not riding him of the pain and fatigue. He could live with that as long as he was strong enough to make one last run for it.

He slowly glared at his brother, breathing heavily and barely able to stand upright, but looking determined nevertheless. “I told you it’s not over as long as I’m breathing… and I still am.”

The scowl Nightmare gave him would have normally made him think twice about his words, but it wasn’t that time – not even when the darker sibling launched all four tentacles towards him without further conversation. It was exactly what Dream was expecting him to do, though, and he managed to jump through the attack as the gate behind him was smashed and shattered into a million pieces.

He almost collapsed from the pain when he landed, but steered past it and summoned that grey smoke before the debris could clear up. Using any amount of power hurt, but a chance at freedom was an excuse valid enough for Dream to use it nevertheless as he swoop his hand down, making the fog increase and be thrown like a powerful gale towards Nightmare and the others.

It gave Dream just about enough time to turn around and run faster than he had ever run before before the smoke cleared.

**_“_** ** _̡̛_** ** _NO_** ** _̸͘_** **_̕͢_** ** _Y_** ** _͏̕_** ** _OU_** ** _̶̵͡_** **_̡͞_** ** _W_** ** _̢_** ** _O_** ** _̷̢̧_** ** _N_** ** _͢͝_** ** _’_** ** _T.”_**

As he had expected, Nightmare was soon launching a crazy barrage of attacks after him, but he kept on running. No tendril, bone or blaster thrown at him was able to hit and stop him despite many close calls; his eyes, desperate, were fixed on the bubbling mass of black a few feet ahead of him, and the closer it looked, the faster he ran. He ignored the world around him; all he could see was his way out and nothing else.

Exhaustion was nothing to him as he kept running, faster, even faster, never stopping, barely dodging all the attacks just right behind him. He couldn’t stop. He couldn’t be stopped. He was right _there_. He was _going_ to make it. He would. He had never been so close. He _could_ make it. He _would_ make it. _He was going to be free._

The explosion of a blaster inches beside him almost knocked him off his feet, but not off his path. He did, however, lurch to the side, and his attempt not to lose his balance was the reason he didn’t see the flash of black rushing straight towards him at vertiginous speed from the side–

The melting appendage hit him right across the eye, roughly sending him to the floor.

An explosion of pain erupted on the side of his face as he clutched the damaged eye, and found, much to his dismay, that he couldn’t open it. He felt many, _many_ cracks around it; in fact, there was a nasty web of cracks ranging from the top of his skull to his cheekbone keeping his eye forever closed, the eye that held the golden pupil – only leaving room for the grey one to be shown.

He shook his head.

The exit was _right in front of him._

He could live with being half-blind, he just wanted, _needed to get out of there._

But he stopped in dread when he felt something clutch his leg, and drowned in horror when he was suddenly pulled back with reckless force; thrown against the battered walls of the castle, stumbling down almost lifelessly.

His reduced vision was threatening to become black, and there was nothing he could do about it. The exit was suddenly really far away… but it was still _there_ … he had to reach it, he couldn’t let the pain stop him… _he had been so close…_

He heard footsteps. Slow, menacing footsteps, and soon enough, an ominous shadow cast over him.

He found himself frozen with fear. Ever so carefully, and faintly shivering, he turned around, but all he saw was the flash of a hand grasping his neck before he was lifted into the air and smashed against the wall, the impact strong enough to crack it as he wheezed.

Dream shrunk at the glare piercing straight through him, and he couldn't deny that he was afraid. Very afraid, and defeated, and a sudden wave of sheer terror didn’t let him say or do anything despite Nightmare’s grip not being strong enough to restraint his breathing. The smile he flashed was still unnerving.

**_"Come now, don't look so glum."_** Nightmare smiled almost innocently; there was too much hatred in that glare to successfully imitate anything else. **_"You should accept your fate and look proud during your last moments as a hero. I thought you weren_** ** _’t afraid of me._** ** _"_**

Dream didn't answer him, or even look at him. He kept his eye closed, breathing heavy but steady in an attempt to ease the pain and fear out. He knew he would never be able to overpower Nightmare, ever, but... he had expected more from himself. He knew he wasn't weak, but perhaps, he truly wasn't as strong as he felt… perhaps everything had been in his mind…

**_"Words can't even explain how pitiful you look. And all of this, just to help a bunch of ungrateful fools? Unbelievable..."_ **

He knew he'd gotten Dream's attention when he slowly looked up at him, weakly clutching his wrist in an attempt not to let the pressure increase.

**_"It's what I've always told you. Nobody cares about_ ** **you. _They care about your soul and your energy. You're_ nothing _without that, and that's all there is to it. If you were just another drop of water in the sea, those friends of yours would have never done half the things they did for you. You don't matter. You think you have many friends, but that's only because your aura lures people in and makes them happy, just like mine repels them and fills them with fear. You are nobody's hero, and the only reason they're trying to save you is not because they care about you, but because they don't want to die."_**

Dream knew it wasn’t true. He knew it was a lie, another false belief, but he was powerless to even try to contradict his brother. The fear he felt was irrational, but at the same time it wasn’t. What was left for him to do? _What was he supposed to do?_  He had nothing to defend himself with and he couldn’t escape, and not knowing how to react further discouraged him.

**_“That’s why, despite your utter insolence, I’m going to grant you a little favor. That hope is only good for disturbing everything and hurting yourself… so_** ** _͡_** ** _l_** ** _̷_** ** _et_** ** _͟_** ** _m_** ** _͟_** ** _e_** ** _͜_** **_͜_** ** _he_** ** _̛_** ** _lp y_** ** _̵_** ** _ou_** ** _̕_** **_̡_** ** _ge_** ** __** ** _t ri_** ** __** ** _d_** ** __** ** _of_** ** _̴_** ** _i_** ** _̕_** ** _t._** ** _̕_** ** _”_**

“No, let go of me! P-please, don’t- don’t do this- ngh!”

**_“_ ** **__** **_Q_ ** **_̷_ ** **_ui_ ** **_̧_ ** **_et_ ** **_.”_ **

Nightmare silenced his suddenly terrified brother by tightening his grip, glaring daggers into him with an unsettling, inscrutable grin. **_“You wanted to help me, and I_ will _let you help me, as_** ** __** ** _lon_** ** _͡_** ** _g_** ** _̨_** **_̷_** ** _a_** ** _̢_** ** _s_** ** _̢_** **_̛_** ** _you let_** ** _̨_** **me _tak_** ** _̵_** ** _e_** ** _̡_** ** _tha_** ** _͠_** ** _t_** ** _͠_** **_̴_** ** _da_** ** _̵_** ** _mn s_** ** _͡_** ** _ou_** ** _͡_** ** _l._** ** _̵_** ** _”_**

Dream let out a strangled cry of pain when the cold hand forcefully squeezed down on his neck, and he panicked at the unreasonable agony that he could faintly recognize. The same golden smoke that had constantly helped him throughout enveloped him in a wave of pain as it was absorbed and turned into dark energy. Nightmare laughed maniacally as Dream tried to writhe out of his grip.

**_“In pain, aren’t we? It didn’t have to be this way, but since you just wouldn’t hand it over…”_ **

Dream tried to kick at him, again and again, but Nightmare wouldn’t even budge and desperation was increasing. Having his vital energy drained right out of him was painful enough already to have to thrash out of a chokehold as well, but nothing he did worked, and he felt his strength slowly disappear.

**_“Come on, don’t struggle. Yo_** ** _̶_** ** _u kno_** ** _̧_** ** _w_** ** _̸_** ** _i_** ** _͝_** ** _t_** ** _͘_** ** _o_** ** _̧_** ** _nl_** ** _̶_** ** _y m_** ** _͠_** ** _ake_** ** _͜_** ** _s_** ** _͘_** **_̸_** ** _it wor_** ** __** ** _s_** ** _̨_** ** _e_** ** _._** ** _”_**

Grinning like a demon, Nightmare slowly tightened his grip, further and further, until he made sure Dream couldn’t take a single breath. His attempts to break free soon faded, clawing at his wrist becoming more necessary than trying to kick him away, but he still couldn’t fight against his brother’s sheer strength. Nightmare found it fun to watch him pitifully gag as everything that kept him alive was taken from him.

Still clawing at the hand holding him, though less vividly by the second, Dream managed to barely open his eye only to realize the golden haze was gradually losing color, turning grey and powerless. He tried to writhe out of Nightmare’s grip again, but his hold was too strong for him to even move.

That was it.

He had lost.

He was going to lose the last good feelings in the multiverse.

He was going to die.

. . . and he still could not let that happen, but with his alarmingly decreasing consciousness, he didn’t exactly know where the willpower to summon a fading arrow came from. Still holding on to Nightmare’s arm with one hand, he briefly glanced at the arrow, threatening to flicker out of existence at any moment, before pulling back.

The haze became grey the moment he struck forward, as so did the arrow when it was plunged deep into the melting skeleton’s chest.

The wide smile he sported immediately vanished as his eye contracted; that one arrow alone hurt as much as trillions of them, and he dropped his nearly unconscious brother as he took a step back with a distorted screech. Nightmare grasped the weapon and yanked it out of his ribcage, causing even more pain as it disintegrated in his hand.

Covering the injury, yet another scar that wouldn’t disappear, he slowly looked up at Dream with the most hatred he had ever looked at anyone with, but there was nothing to see aside from his brother momentarily trying to push himself up, weakly making eye contact, and finally collapsing.

Nightmare wanted to tear him to pieces.

But he didn’t as he stood upright, all hatred replaced by a stoic expression.

He irrefutably had _everything_ , and he felt it. The power he had obtained long ago was nothing compared to the amount he finally had; he felt like he could split the world in half by simply stomping, and that was the one and only reason he didn’t bother making Dream pay for that last insolence. There was still pain for him to endure.

He had won. He had forever won, and that was all that mattered. He was a god, and there was nothing that would ever take his power away from him. All he had to do was break the bond he shared with Dream and kill him to fulfill his destiny.

But that was merely something extra.

He had all he wanted to have.

**_“Take him back to the cell. We’re done here.”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and this is very long and i'm very tired and i'm feeling a lot of things at the same time.
> 
> I've never been good at fight scenes, but this one had to be just perfect, which is partially the reason why it took me so long to finish it. I just never feel like doing anything in December. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	21. The Tyrant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream only wanted to die.
> 
> He wouldn't be able to withstand any more pain.

Everything had become darker and colder, even if such things seemed impossible given how bad the conditions already were. Everything had just become worse for everyone in general, everyone except for one very certain being that was no longer someone to simply be afraid of.

Nightmare had gone from being a terrifying creature to being a horrifying tyrant that would not tolerate the smallest of words spoken towards him if his permission to say anything wasn't given too quickly for anyone to successfully adapt to the change. He fully acknowledged the immense power he held, and it seemed to have taken over him without him barely noticing.

Out of context, one would say he had started behaving like a spoiled king; except, he was a dreadful, utterly merciless and completely insane spoiled king that would not think twice before destroying universes whole if provoked with more ease than Error would have ever wished to have – he surely had the power to do so, and it was a miracle that he chose not to simply because he needed those people alive. The worst part was that it wasn't a difficult task to aggravate him at all; even unwanted eye contact could fling his nerves.

His army had always paid high respect to him, but with his new powers and shorter temper, there wasn't a single specter that wasn't utterly terrified of him; and that meant nobody uttered a word if not ordered to do so, not even between themselves, they weren't allowed to look at him, and they couldn't get out of the castle if it wasn't a direct order. Even the elites didn't dare to approach him without being told to do so, be it for advice or news – dozens of them had been torn apart by merely saying anything before Nightmare decided whether or not he wanted to hear it.

He tolerated _nothing_ , and had made clear what kind of punishment those who didn't acknowledge him as the supreme being received. His aura was powerful and cold, too harsh, and merely staying near him or being glared at would cause even the darkest of beings to cower in fear, so everyone within the castle had the highest respect towards him. He had become a forbidding monster; even more so than before.

All the humans and monsters that had tried to escape when Dream set them free never made it out, confused and frightened. They didn't know what the way out was and panicked when the specters began looking for them; some were so lost and sorrowed that they returned to the cells by themselves, while others were finally caught despite running all over for their lives. They wished they had gotten out, because everything that had once been terrifying for them doubled, especially those haunting screams they kept hearing.

Nightmare was hellbent on destroying the bond he shared with his brother, much more so than ever before, and he had been torturing and terrorizing Dream restlessly. Even some of the most corrupted Papyruses thought he was crossing the line; the screeches and desperate cries for mercy were still reverberating in their minds, haunting them, but all Nightmare saw it as was enjoyment and victory.

The one moment the elites, 82 and some other skeletons had been called was one of those few in which Nightmare wasn't scaring the life out of everyone helplessly trapped in the dungeon. His back was turned to the specters, and he seemed oddly calm as he stared into the outside of the castle; the stars in the sky, the barrier in the distance. Even then, he was still utterly menacing.

**_"82."_ **

Said skeleton almost jumped. For once, he wasn't mocked for it; everyone always had the same reaction when called.

**_"y-yes, m-my lord?"_ **

**_"Step up."_ **

Clawed phalanges tapping together, 82 took a small and hesitant step forward. He couldn't recall a moment in which 1, 2 or 3 had given him such pitiful looks, and he really thought he was going to die simply because Nightmare had finally grown tired of his uselessness.

**_"Are they still trying to find us?"_ **

**_"y-yes, yes they are. they don't seem to be about to give up."_ **

**_"Good. I want you to bring them here."_ **

**_"on… o-on my own?"_ **

82 felt an urge to clasp his hands over his mouth and call himself an idiot, but he didn't; those questions were often what Nightmare considered backtalk, weakness, something he would never tolerate, but he made no signs of having been bothered by it. He was too strangely calm.

 **_"Not by force. Talk them into it. After all, they don't have any other choice but to trust you. Besides, little blue already knows you. You won't pose enough of a threat to them. Now s_ ** **_̵_ ** **_ć_ ** **_r_ ** **_͏_ ** **_am_ ** **_͠_ ** **_."_ **

The skeleton flinched, trying his best not to pitifully whimper at the harsh order.

**_"at your command, s-sir."_ **

Nightmare side-glanced at the others as 82 disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and everyone immediately straightened and avoided direct eye contact.

 **_"1, 2, 3, I want you to set up an ambush. Get everyone ready, but do not attack on sight. Notify me once they arrive, and nobody dare reveal their position._ ** **_I want absolute silence."_ **

* * *

It had been days since it happened. Those days felt countless altogether, and still no sign of Nightmare or Dream or anything they were looking for. Things were looking grim; much more so than they already were.

They had literally traversed the entirety of the multiverse, and despite having lost more than half of its population, the journey had still been pretty long and full of life. Going out of context, it felt nice to travel around and see that people were still living their normal lives, albeit somewhat shaken by the strange feelings that came and went. Other than that, the survivors were as fine as they could be, and the multiverse seemed big for a moment. Maybe too big. What they were looking for was definitely out of their reach for the time being.

They had asked every single monster and human in every single universe, but nobody knew a thing. Some were afraid of them, some were confused, some others were hostile, but fortunately, most of them were comprehensive and willing to help even though they couldn't.

They had ended up on Undersail again after an endless search for answers, their last destination; it gave off a strange atmosphere all of a sudden, as the memories it brought back weren't exactly pleasing, and the blue skeleton specifically didn't like it one bit. It was funny to think about that, given that he'd always wanted to visit any ocean-related universes ever since he eased into the idea of the multiverse's existence. Back then, that precise moment of his life never felt like the most comfortable and peaceful, alone with some crazy skeleton, but he actually missed those times.

Nobody had thought about how exactly they would interrogate Undersail's population, given that most of it lived underwater, until they got to that one cloudy shore that wasn't as placid as it would normally be for anybody else. It was a lucky nudge that Toriel and Frisk happened to be on the surface when they arrived, but much like everyone else, they revealed to know nothing about any melting skeleton's whereabouts when asked, and it wasn't likely that anybody else there knew when they didn't even understand what was happening. The two did ask if Dream was fine after the whole incident, though. Nobody mustered the courage to lie to them, and they weren't pleased to hear the news as expected.

The group still stayed in the shore after human and capricorn retreated back into the calm waters, wishing them luck and promising to ask the others if they had the chance. They were tired, and didn't know what else to do; Sci and Core had made the recount, and there were no more accessible universes to visit and no more people to ask: they hadn't bothered visiting the Omega Timeline since the people there were too unstable to even listen to them, Fresh was nowhere to be found, and there were no more lone wanderers to talk to. They had no more choices. If the two siblings were somewhere, it _had_ to be a pocket dimension that wouldn't be easy to reach, and they feared it actually was the timeline Abu and Core spoke about.

"WE'RE NEVER FINDING THEM."

Blueberry plopped down onto the black pebbles, hands on his cheekbones as he stared at the uneven ground and pondered about he didn't even know what. He sat in front of the gentle shore, just out of the water's reach, and he couldn't take his lost eyes off of the waves when they entered his field of vision. He was trying to let the sound of the sea calm him down, but the buzzing in his mind was too strong and loud for him to concentrate. He felt strange; it took him a while to sense the inner guilt after having just shattered everyone's hopes of finding something with mere words.

Papyrus gave him a confused but mostly concerned look; he couldn't blame him for wanting to give up, because there wasn't much else they could do and that was final – but then again, he was talking about Blueberry, his cheery little brother who always managed to find another way no matter how helpless the situation was. The only time he'd given up with no more saying on it was when the worldwide feelings had been altered because they weren't held, but that wasn't his fault, and Dream had regained them, right?

…then _again_ , he was trapped with a psycho that craved that power. Being too late _could_ be a possibility, which would explain Blueberry's strange demeanor. Papyrus wanted that to be his last thought until he could confirm it.

"ah, come on, don't be so negative. that's the last thing we should do, remember?"

He crouched beside his brother, an arm around him; Papyrus tried to sound reassuring, but he realized his tone did sound somewhat forced, much more so than he'd intended. Blueberry often noticed those things, but he didn't exactly react at all to his sibling's presence. He, however, did blink as if he'd gotten out of a trance after a few seconds.

"I... _KNOW_ , BUT... THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY OTHER WAY TO HELP."

There was more disappointment than sadness in his voice, as if he were trying to defy the world's fate by simply uttering its unfairness, and he cut his brother off before he could say something. "I'VE ALWAYS FOUND A SOLUTION TO THINGS BECAUSE I KNEW THERE WAS ONE. I KNEW HOW TO ACT. BUT NOW... IF NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING AND THERE ARE NO MORE PLACES TO GO... WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?"

Papyrus sighed, but didn't say anything, because there really wasn't anything to say. He didn't know what to do, either. Nobody did; literally _nobody._ They weren't a bunch of miraculous magicians meant to protect the multiverse; they were survivors who were trying to save a crumbling world like they were meant to do so. Perhaps they had already gone as far as they could... A part of him kept nagging him with that mindset, but another told him the opposite. It was hard to think clearly. Too hard, perhaps.

He barely heard Blueberry's quiet, desolated voice murmur, "WHERE ARE THEY..."

"You know, I've got a really bad feeling…"

Shenshe dropped the pebble she'd been holding, somewhat marveling at its uncanny beauty before she watched it topple and get lost between the many others. She had seen so many things she would have never thought existed through her multiversal journey, but even that couldn't ease her nerves. "Don't get me wrong, I don't want to discourage anyone, just… I'm saying it because it's not really normal. It's been going on for a while now."

"Yeah, I feel something weird too." Sci commented. "It almost feels like déjà vu. The bad kind, like… like this has happened before."

The fact that Papyrus also had that strange sensation combined with Blueberry's strange attitude and the disaster that was taking place didn't lead his mind to any reassuring thoughts, and it wasn't something he could fight against. There was something very wrong out there, and given the situation, it probably _was_ very, _very_ wrong indeed.

Papyrus couldn't help but ponder. That eerie tingle in his soul, the inner cold, the mess of thoughts… He and everyone else had begun feeling those same things back when Dream was first attacked, and they went away when he regained his emotions. It could hardly be a coincidence that he was feeling the same things while the carrier of positivity was being held captive and most likely in grave danger… but Papyrus still wanted to make sure. _How_ , though… he didn't know.

"We should just get moving." Arel almost sighed; it seemed like he was pretty distressed too, but mostly saddened. Despite sharing a mutual wave of despair that tried to crowd their enthusiasm, he and Shenshe looked way more concerned about it than the rest of them, and it wasn't helpful to know that the residents of Dreamtale were heavily distraught while something was going off the rails with their guardians. It further meant they could have been too late. "Maybe we can still find some clue. Staying put surely won't help."

"So what's the plan, going around in circles until the crazy octopus decides to throw a party and invite us to his hideout, or…?" Shenshe retorted, an unusual tone of derision in her voice, but Arel paid no more mind than a short glare. For some reason, nobody was in the mood to take any sort of backtalk or accept ideas that came out of the blue, as if their nerves were about to explode even though they were relatively calm.

" _She is right, in a way…"_ Core mused, noting Arel's understandable disagreement towards the white critter. _"I do believe going around the multiverse over and over again until we find something new is a waste of time. The best we can do is come up with some sort of plan. Surely Nightmare won't stay wherever he is forever."_

Papyrus sighed quietly. "it's not so much when he shows himself, it's when we run out of time. that psycho's after dream's soul, you know, and he's all alone and could be in a timeline that's supposedly nothing but darkness. by the time we see any of the two again without trying to find them ourselves, everything could already be over."

Nobody denied that he was right, not even Blueberry as he looked back down. Their situation was extremely fragile, and they undoubtedly lacked the right methods to properly deal with it. It wasn't probable that they would magically find a hidden timeline by simply wishing so. But, problem was, they didn't know how to find it while _trying_ to, either. It felt strange for the blue skeleton to think so, but anybody else would have given up at that point. The fact that he didn't despite the negativity let him know there was still a chance for them. A very small chance, but it was there.

 **_"oh, it_ ** **is _over."_**

Everyone turned around at the same time to face the unfamiliar voice, but its coldness and lack of enthusiasm put them in high alert before even seeing the speaker, especially when their eyes met the dark figure leaning against the rocky walls of that fateful cliff, arms nonchalantly crossed.

 ** _"but at least you still can–_** "

82 couldn't help but let out a squeaky yell of utter surprise when the first thing he saw after opening his eyes was a sword twirling in the air and flying straight towards his head. He ducked at the speed of light, letting the blade clash against the rocks and topple beside him while he blinked at it with wide, empty eyes. That was probably the closest he had been to death; not a pleasant feeling.

**_"kid, what the hell is wrong with you?!"_ **

Shenshe and Sci had hopped away from Arel in surprise of his sudden attack, but they soon found themselves backing away from Papyrus as magic flared in his eye and two blaster aimed at his darker doppelganger while panic began to rise among the others. Blueberry took a few steps back too, and he couldn't help the utter confusion and worry that were flowing through him.

He could barely risk a short glance at the seemingly concerned, dark skeleton, but there was one little detail his eyes never missed; the golden number in the otherwise black battle body. It was something he was quick to remember, but he was even quicker to jump in front of his brother, waving his arms in his face to get his attention. "WAIT! WAIT! HOLD ON!"

The older skeleton immediately let the charging magic fade away, mostly because the last thing he'd been expecting was his brother to jump in right before he could shoot a couple of deadly beams. Understandably enough, though, he was more angrily concerned than he was shocked about it. "blue– what are you _doing_?"

"THAT ONE'S NOT BAD!"

He was answered with puzzled silence, only broken by a mostly annoyed huff from 82 as he regained his composure. _Won't pose enough of a threat to them,_ he said… He couldn't blame them after what the rest of the army did back in Dreamtale. They were all identical, anyway; obviously all of them were a threat, and a slower approach would have perhaps been more welcomed.

**_"glad to know you still have someone with common sense. and a liar."_ **

Papyrus exchanged glances between his brother and his shadowed replica, arguing with his mind about whether or not to dismiss Blueberry's words and dispose of the menace before things escalated. The confusion struck so suddenly that he couldn't choose any option.

"What you mean _not bad_?" Arel scoffed, glaring hatefully at the dark skeleton, but most of his attention was on the fallen sword that he regretted throwing like some boomerang. He didn't like how close it had ended to the specter, but it had been a reflex to immediately attack. He had had enough of those skeletons, and his short temper didn't help.

"I MEAN… NOT _ENTIRELY_ BAD. I KNOW THIS ONE." Blueberry turned to face 82, no signs of notable fear in his expression, even though it was clouded with doubt and confusion. "HE'S THE ONE THAT SPIES ON US. THE ONE I TALKED TO."

 ** _"more like the one who threatened you."_** 82 crossed his arms as he corrected the blue skeleton; he wasn't in the mood to have Blueberry try to pull the innocent card on him, especially when he was about to lead them to their deaths and be casual about it. **_"i told you not to go all buddy-buddy on me."_**

Blueberry held his hands up dismissively, "NOT TRYING TO. IT TAKES MORE THAN A STOP FOR THEM TO TRUST YOU…"

**_"whatever."_ **

Even his blank glare felt weak. 82 still couldn't muster the courage to be like any of the others, and for some reason, he felt _bad._ Worse than he'd ever felt, because he knew he was leading them to a deathtrap. He had already decided to let his mind guide him, to accept that he truthfully wanted to earn the group's trust and to stop trying to be something he was not, but it wasn't easy. That was the first chance he had, and it would have to be a lie.

It hurt. He didn't even know if he was hiding it enough.

"what do you want." Papyrus deadpanned aggressively, and 82 could still see the flicker of orange magic. It seemed like none of them were about to drop their guard, and for once, attempting to be hostile wouldn't be the solution to anything. He would have to be himself, and it didn't feel right.

 **_"i'm not the one who wants anything. nightmare is. we know you guys have been trying to find us for quite some time now, and_ ** **maybe _all of that paid off. i was ordered to guide you there."_**

"…because that isn't suspicious or anything." Sci scowled, and the dark skeleton was promptly receiving many looks of disapproval to which he innocently shrugged.

**_"i told you i'm only following orders. nightmare didn't even tell me to force you to follow me. you decide."_ **

Blueberry tilted his head, doubtful, but Papyrus was quick to narrow his eyes in defiance. "things don't work like that, you know? if nightmare told you to let us find him, then he _must_ know we'll be there. what are the chances of it not being a trap?"

 ** _"hey, i'm the messenger here, i don't know what he wants to do."_** Oh, the lies. **_"but really, you've been looking for that timeline all over. you have a chance now. nightmare is going to know you're there anyway, it's his domain after all. if you really cared about your friend, you'd take this chance…"_**

He didn't miss those looks of utter concern replacing all anger and hesitation.

"Wait– Dream… h-he's still alive, right?" Shenshe stressed, and all relief fell upon her when 82 replied without any emotion.

**_"yep."_ **

"IS HE… HURT…?"

**_"a lot."_ **

"he still has the soul, _right?"_

**_"nope."_ **

Everything nobody wanted to hear or believe had been carelessly confirmed at the worst possible moment, and Papyrus was the first to let a shaky breath out as his biggest fear was revealed to be a truth. No wonder he felt strange, when they had gone all the way back to stage one... The others weren't any less distraught about the news, and 82 could almost hear their minds urging them to leave the doubt aside and follow him.

"That bastard…" Arel muttered, eyes closed, fists clenched almost as if he was imagining himself killing the beast in sweet revenge. Too good to be true, but he wished he could. He couldn't help but silently wonder what they were supposed to do if there were no more good feelings to be rescued. Sure, Dream still had his own aura, but according to 82, he was badly hurt and probably too weak to do anything.

 ** _"and let me tell you, he won't live for long. who knows, if you make up your minds quickly enough, you might still have time to do some of your craziness. seriously though, you are the most hardcore, bullheaded bunch of idiots i've ever seen."_** 82 had expected the few blank looks, but nobody could really deny his words. **_"you've never lost hope during all of this, but you do_ now _? come on."_**

"why should we trust you, anyway?" Papyrus retorted, eyes narrowing again.

**_"one, there's nothing i could do against you without backup. two, i'm your only chance at finding your friend. give or take."_ **

The tall skeleton sighed exasperatedly, briefly glancing at the others. Aside from a seething Arel, everybody else showed nothing but concern, especially Blueberry, looking at him with _those_ eyes – the look that always screamed do the right thing. But what was that 'right thing'? In any other case, the right thing to do would have been not to trust one of Nightmare's servants, but there was no other way to find his timeline.

They had to go there. If Dream was still alive, he could still be saved somehow. It could be a trap. They could die in the act. Or perhaps it wouldn't be as bad, and they really could have a chance at saving Dream. There was only one way to know, but Papyrus needed heartfelt approval from everyone else, because what they were about to do was the most dangerous thing they had ever done. Entering Nightmare's domain, most likely housing darkness and that army of specters, _while_ he knew they were coming; it sounded suicidal, but it was their only choice.

"…who's up?" he lowly said, and as expected, received heavily thoughtful looks.

"I'm going." Arel snapped without hesitation, though his snow-white friend wasn't as hasty to reply. It took her a moment of musing to accept as well, because she wasn't one to leave friends behind.

"… _so am I."_ Core finally answered, gaze lost as if they were regretting everything. It was always hard to tell what they were actually thinking.

Sci tapped his phalanges together, but seeing Blueberry nod at his brother with full courage seemed to have changed his mind. He was shaking more than ever, but he still accepted. "Alright… let's go."

**_"…so i guess that's everyone. good!"_ **

Trying not to be too hasty, 82 picked the fallen sword and tossed it back to Arel once he walked past him. Despite the lack of hostility, the human still gave him a spiteful glare that he never saw. The dark skeleton slashed the air, creating an ominous gap made out of dark smoke; even the entrance to a bat-infested cave in the middle of the night was more welcoming than that portal.

Hands on his hips as if there was no trouble, 82 turned to face the somewhat hesitant group. He didn't know why he was smiling; what he was doing wasn't right, and he knew it, but he had an act to uphold. He thought he was getting a little too in-character. **_"after you."_**

Many glances were exchanged. 82 had no rush, and took a step back when his brighter doppelganger mustered enough courage to step in first, followed by Arel and Shenshe, then Sci, then Core, and finally Blueberry. The latter stopped before entering, and 82 already had a bad feeling about that mild smile and gentle gaze.

"THANK YOU."

The specter waited his own share of seconds before following. That stung; that stung _bad_ , like a sword of fire piercing right through him. No wonder he couldn't have friends; someone like him wasn't meant to have any unless they were like him. Problem was, he was rather unique among his own kind.

**_"…don't thank me, buddy."_ **

* * *

**_"If you think about it, life is meaningless without power."_ **

Nightmare strolled peacefully through the dark corridor of the dungeon, deep, continuous clicks coming from a sharpened, black bone he nonchalantly skimmed against the bars of the cells accompanying his words and giving off an eerie feeling. All the wounded, horrified beings scooted away as he walked past their cells, fearing the worst.

**_"You should all thank me. I'm showing you the truth instead of letting you live a lie."_ **

He stopped beside a very certain cage, glancing at the bone for a moment before crushing it into dust like it was nothing more than a mere stick. He didn't miss the flinch from the figure behind the bars, and he grinned at the sight.

What once was a being determined to fight for freedom had become a terrorized mess. Dream was nestled in a corner, curled up, hugging himself and shivering in utter fear and unbearable cold. A grey, lifeless pupil was fixed on the black creature, so small it was barely visible, but he quickly averted his gaze; there was nothing on that expression but unadulterated terror.

Nightmare scowled; despite how fun it was to torture his brother in his viewpoint, he was still frustrated about its effects. Dream was literally terrified out of his mind, but that link hadn't shattered yet. It should have. He was traumatized and beyond, and one simple look at him was enough for even cruel beings like Error to drown in pity. An actual, thorough look at Dream and Nightmare knew he was actually surprised about how much he was lasting.

Aside from the web of cracks keeping his eye closed, there were several, smaller ones on the other side of his face, on the temple. That was the result of having tried to somehow break the bars by repeatedly ramming into them until the pain became too strong to continue. Dream didn't even know if he had been trying to free himself or take his own life. The latter wouldn't have been surprising.

His lone eye told a million horror stories; a clear window to his terrified mind, lost after having gone through countless hallucinations and night terrors devoid of all mercy. He still retained the images of himself dying over and over again, always slowly, and of Nightmare threatening him until he was driven to tears. He couldn't stop seeing and hearing it.

Both his sleeves were torn in half, revealing the heavily damaged radiuses and ulnae. Out of desperation, he had tried to use Nightmare's instability as an advantage and make him snap so he would unwittingly kill him, but he figured the scheme out right before doing something he would have regretted. The punishment? Have 1 use a dagger to painfully carve into his arms until he lost his voice from screaming, the same symbols that had once decorated his bow forever embedded in his bones.

He had trouble breathing, as at least five or six ribs had been broken after a relentless beating when Nightmare first found out that nothing he had done had been enough to break that cursed bond, and to, according to the darker sibling, teach him respect.

But despite the frustration, Nightmare knew he wouldn't have to wait much longer. Dream, and nobody for that matter, had ever been so terrified of him. He had never felt such amount of fear radiating off of someone by merely looking their way. His chance to kill him had never been so close. That was what he had been machinating for some time, too. He had used his ability to control people's night terrors to find the slowest and most agonizing way to kill his brother. After all, that would be the last time he would hear him scream. He wanted to enjoy every second of it.

Dream froze when that ominous eye looked straight at him, and glanced away.

**_"By the way... I've got good news~"_ **

He flinched when the bars snapped out of reality. Anybody else would have taken the chance to make a desperate run for it, but the terror was too intense for Dream to make any move. He was petrified.

**_"After much deliberation, I've finally made my choice on how to kill you. Guess what? You might as well get out of here during your last moments alive."_ **

The terrified skeleton shrunk as the dark creature advanced towards him, cowering in horror. Nightmare knew the link would break soon; he had terrorized his brother to near insanity. Merely scaring him half to death a couple more times would surely get the job done, but he'd rather have pain in the way too.

He harshly grabbed him by the collar, holding him against the wall and making sure to add pressure against the broken ribs. **_"See how much I care? I'm even going to let you die in Dreamtale and have everyone watch their favorite guardian being torn apart."_**

Nightmare grinned unsettlingly, and Dream clenched his eye shut while he inched closer as he spoke, **_"Quite literally, too. Did you know us skeletons have 206 bones? And I'm going to slowly break every single one of them. One. By one. From the most insignificant to the most vital. Every second will be full of sheer agony, the worst pain you've ever felt, and I will make sure of it. I'm not going to stop until you're choking on your own blood. By then, if I feel merciful enough, I might just let you bleed out next to your mommy."_**

Nightmare could feel how much Dream was shaking, eyes watery but tears never falling. His hands were holding his arm, but so weakly it barely felt like they were there. It was a pitiful sight. A delightful sight, too.

**_"And don't think I'm saying this just to scare you. I already know how I want this to end, and it will be this way. Do you know why?"_ **

Dream couldn't utter a word; all he did was shut his eyes tighter, look away as much as he could.

**_"It's because you're a coward. A disgrace. You don't have what it takes to help anyone. You deserve all of this. You admitted it yourself. Do you understand that much?"_ **

Shivering, Dream weakly nodded. That wasn't enough for Nightmare, however, as he increased the pressure against the mostly shattered ribs enough to make the smaller skeleton breathlessly squeak in pain. **_"Answer me when I talk to you."_**

"...yes..." Dream pitifully wept.

 **_"Yes_ ** **what?"**

"...I understand..."

**_"That's better."_ **

Nightmare dropped him, watching him wrap a wounded arm around his ribcage and feebly cough, not once making eye contact. **_"Don't worry, everything will be over soon enough. Today might just be your lucky day. Besides, your friends will get to see you one more time before you die."_**

The melting skeleton walked away, laughing maniacally as the cell closed behind him.

Dream only wanted to die.

He wouldn't be able to withstand any more pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy late new year. ^_^ We start off with more suffering... ayy my heart. I think this will be a legitimate tearjerker from next chapter on ;-;


	22. No Freedom in Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thought of everything becoming a realm of darkness was the most horrifying thing anyone had ever thought of. Imagining everyone being like those hapless monsters and humans trapped without any help or comfort, constantly being hurt and tormented, forgetting who they were and believing they only existed to suffer…

"you're a filthy liar is what you are."

He should have known. Papyrus felt indescribable amounts of betrayal and disappointment in himself and in everything around him. How couldn’t he? Nightmare was the one who wanted them in his timeline all of a sudden; obviously that invitation would be a trap from the get-go. Everyone's mutual care for Dream and the world's fate had overpowered the evident, and they paid for it.

Yes, they were closer to him. But they were also helpless and unable to know where exactly he was.

That place was horror itself. A wave of dread hit everyone like waves hit the shore as soon as they entered, and a couple of seconds in and Arel and Shenshe were already shivering as unforgiving cold struck them like they were surrounded by snow and ice. There was something very wrong in there, a constant feeling of despair, dark magic bleeding into the environment; it was strong, repelling any and all hope. Even Core and the skeletons felt eerie cold rattle through them and it was the most discouraging thing they had ever felt.

That place’s features and the tension they brought had kept them so focused and puzzled that none of them had realized 82 was gone until Blueberry turned to face him for guidance. There wasn't a single one of them that hadn't felt goosebumps when they realized they were suspiciously alone, as if that universe was laughing at them, mocking them, telling them they were hapless goners.

One moment they were alone, the next they were surrounded by dark skeletons. Probably _hundreds_  of dark skeletons, looming everywhere, only the eyes of those further away visible.

As bad and sudden as the situation was, it had been Papyrus' first instinct to attack when he realized that any escape route had been blocked by ominous specters, but they had all been apprehended and threatened to be killed before he had a chance to even summon his magic. They were faced with no other choice but to let themselves be taken to the dungeon if that truly was the only way not to die right then and there. There was nothing any of them could do against that army, and they knew it.    

They had all been shoved into the same cell, blades always pointed at them in case any of them got feisty enough to try and make a run for it. Arel's sword had been taken away for good measure, as well as Sci's portal watch – everything to ensure they wouldn’t try anything. Whilst Core could phase through the bars, they knew trying to take their belongings back would be useless; there was nothing any of them could do to get out of there, and they couldn't help the feeling of dread that crept up on them. It was strange, eerie, completely out of place; a mighty force that was devouring their hope like a parasite.

82 had been again chosen to ward the cells, alone, and while he would rather be down there instead of forcefully following the more violent skeletons and watching them destroy people’s lives, he couldn’t help the strange sadness that was clouding him. He just didn’t want to be there at all, pacing back and forth, watching all those traumatized critters, having to walk past hateful eyes that did nothing but pierce daggers into him. The glower his more colorful doppelganger shot at him each time he walked past their cell could burn right through him. He knew deserved that hate.

“i knew i shouldn’t have trusted you.”

82 leaned against the bars of the empty, parallel cell with a lost gaze, sighing quietly and trying his best to act aloof. It was harder than he would have expected. **_“who am i to blame you?”_**

Papyrus growled lowly at him, but deemed him unworthy of words and looked away from the dark skeleton. He truly wanted to break out and blast him into outer space, and hopefully have all those other clones suffer the same fate, but he was afraid he would hurt the others by using magic in such an enclosed space, and 82 had already told him that those bars were unbreakable for anyone that couldn't handle dark magic; Papyrus believed _that_ , but not anything else.

Everyone went silent, thoughtful and defenseless against the array of broken feelings trying to take over them. For them, it was unreasonable anger, and fear, and sadness, utter hopelessness. For 82, it was guilt, and something he couldn't describe. It was that same, eerie sensation that had been bothering him ever since he began following the group, except it was as strong as could be.

"...WHY'D YOU DO THAT?"

The black skeleton looked at the small, huddled figure behind the bars. Blueberry seemed deeply hurt, not only about being helpless but about everything that was happening to everyone. He was confused. He felt hopeless, but at the same time, something was rushing him, keeping him nervous, like they still had a remote chance to escape even though such thing was highly unlikely. The mixture of incompatible emotions wasn't pleasant at all, especially not for someone as fragile as he was.

And yet, he was looking at the black figure with pitifully innocent eyes, and 82 couldn't make direct eye contact for long. Those cyan pupils were staring into him with, not only sorrow, but also undeterred innocence, and the skeleton didn’t know what to make of it. He was sure even the little skeleton should hate him for condemning them, but he didn’t, or so it looked like.

**_"…we've gotta do what we've gotta do."_ **

He acted distant and careless to keep Blueberry’s sympathy off his back, but that didn’t seem to work. "NO, I MEAN... WHY DO YOU _KEEP_ DOING THAT?" 82 frowned at him, as so did everyone else, especially Papyrus; his expression, though, was more of a scowl, and an understandable one – he wasn’t in the mood to have his brother pity the one specter amongst thousands that had ensured their death. "I KNOW WHAT REGRET LOOKS LIKE, AND IT'S ALL OVER YOU. YOU SAID THAT YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE THIS YOURSELF... IT’S NOT HARD TO TELL THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO KEEP DOING ANY OF THIS."

**_"it's not that easy, buddy."_ **

Blueberry gave him a sad look, like he deserved to be forgiven, and he knew he didn’t. Before he could say something to change 82’s mind, though, Papyrus huffed, and there was a strange tone of pure anger within him. "why are you still trying to be friends with this trash? sans, these guys are going to kill us."

Blueberry knew that Papyrus was either really serious or unbearably worried when he called him Sans, and his expression was a dead giveaway of the first option. He knew he didn’t like it when he tried to show compassion even to literal murderers, but he hadn’t been expecting a scolding there and then of all places and times. He couldn’t entirely blame him, though. The first impressions he had gotten of 82 and every other specter hadn’t been exactly peaceful or reassuring.

"HE'S DIFFERENT."

"because he didn't try to attack you when he had a chance?” Papyrus scorned, crossing his arms. There was an unusual amount of bitterness in his voice; his brother couldn’t understand what he was so pissed off about. He knew when Papyrus was angry, and he also knew when he was _really_ angry. He had never been _really_ angry with him, at least not for such trivial reasons. “speaks a lot."

The blue skeleton narrowed his eyes; he didn’t like the way Papyrus was almost screaming at him all of a sudden, and something felt very wrong. It was like his soul was being consumed by acid; he had a very bad presage, but the tone his brother was using against him was hurting him and keeping his mind off of anything paranormal. "I _KNOW_ HE IS."

" _how?”_ the older skeleton snapped, almost making his younger sibling flinch; some of the others in the back did flinch in his place, though. “he knew _exactly_ what would happen if we followed him, and he was all cheery about it. now we’re all trapped down here and this guy will probably be the first to tell the others to murder us."

"DOES THAT LOOK LIKE A KILLER TO YOU?" Blueberry pointed at the dark skeleton with indignant, narrowed eyes, something 82 wasn’t at all comfortable with given that he had caught some very angry monster’s attention. If glares could kill, he’d already be dust. He almost wanted to walk away from the bickering siblings, but he couldn’t.

Someone was actually standing up for him.

 _Willingly_ …

"it looks like something that was created by some madman in a literal realm of darkness.” Papyrus hissed, growing more and more annoyed by the second. The rest exchanged worried yet perplexed glances between the two siblings. “wake up, sans, this is not the time for making friends. didn’t you learn anything? _look at what your beloved glitchy pal did."_

Blueberry was about to counter before Papyrus was done, but his words were cut short and he almost let out a teary hiccup at the reckless mention of… _certain skeleton._ He couldn’t even _think_ about him; the cold he suddenly felt wasn’t caused by the atmosphere, and he was well aware of it.

Those words stung, and Papyrus had uttered them with so much hatred and anger and he wasn’t at all sorry about it, like he didn’t know how fragile his brother was, especially about that one subject that was still haunting his mind and his heart. Blueberry knew something wasn’t right at all, but he couldn’t help the anger he was being surrounded by.

All he knew was that he was being unfairly treated, and it was _not_ the time to vent anyone’s anger on each other.

"I KNOW WHEN SOMEONE DOESN'T WANT TO DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING. YOU SHOULD STOP JUDGING SO QUICKLY, I KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS THAN YOU DO!”

"i don't _need_ to stop judging. these guys are going to kill us, none of them is or will be our friend, we’re trapped in some psycho’s castle, end. of. the story."

Papyrus seemed to believe his words would be the last, keeping a glower in his expression, but after a few seconds of staring in disbelief, Blueberry lightly shook his head. “…WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

“what is wrong with _you_? stop trying to befriend murderers, _okay_? it’s not like you’re a freaking _child_.”

Papyrus looked the other way with an exasperated sigh, leaving an astonished and hurt Blueberry to cope with his brother's outburst on his own. He couldn't stop looking at the orange-clad skeleton with eyes that screamed sadness, but he ended up looking down, weighed down by the weight of not understanding. Nobody said anything; they lacked the words, and didn’t even know what was happening, or why, but their gazes spoke for them with clarity.

It was then when Papyrus' eyes widened after a few, disconcerted blinks, and the weight of the world suddenly pierced right through him like a barrage of spears.

. . . why'd he do that for?

He slowly turned around, shocked, to meet the aching expression of his brother that had been unfairly shrieked at. He wasn’t angry at _him_ … Why did he get that urge to vent his anger on his brother? It was like he didn’t even know who he was arguing with.

It was hard to tell which of the two was more deeply hurt.

…he just treated his beloved little brother like some feelingless punching bag…

"i... blue, i'm-... sorry..."

**_"it's what this place does to you."_ **

Distraught eyes looked at the dark skeleton, facing away from them. His stare was blank, but it was still drenched in regret, and guilt, and anger; a painful cluster of negativity.

**_"it consumes your mind. it makes you forget who you are, messes with you until you hate everyone around you and you lose the meaning of your existence. sometimes, sadness and anger are too strong for you to contain them, and they burst out just like that."_ **

Nobody had anything to say about that, either. Everything was... too confused, too scrambled. Everything was too hopeless and frightening and dark and cold, and it wasn't Papyrus' unwitting rage that forever took Blueberry's smile away from him.

**_"that's probably why he chose to keep you all in the same cage. in a couple of days or even less, you’ll be mindlessly killing each other."_ **

"And you'd probably enjoy that, _right_?" Arel stressed, glaring into the dark skeleton. Whilst it could be useful, some were glad his sword had been taken away. His short temper plus the effects of that place could easily turn his hatred into physical violence and in the span of a moment he'd be flinging the blade around until some limb was skewered.

82 took a moment of silence before replying. There was no way any of them would trust him after leading them to their deaths, especially not Papyrus and Arel, but what other time did he have to be honest? Everyone, including his comrades, would go crazy in no time if some otherworldly miracle didn't stop Nightmare. He wanted to talk to the last sane people in the multiverse before everything went down the rails forever.

**_"no, not actually, no."_ **

Blueberry was the first to look up at him, but he'd rather have everyone's attention rather than his only, because he knew he would be the only one to immediately forgive his actions. 82 already had enough proof to tell that Blueberry was the type to forgive _everyone_.

**_"in fact, i hate all of this. i didn't want you to end up here of all places, but..."_ **

"Oh, _really_?" Arel almost literally growled. "Why not?"

82 slightly stuttered wordlessly, trying to find out how express himself in a way that didn’t make him look like some bad joke, before replying with a defeated sigh. **_"your friend is not wrong. yes, i am different. i'm a weirdo. i don't like hurting people and i hate almost everyone in here. but i still appreciate my life, so... i'd rather not upset..._ the king.” **He couldn’t help the sarcastic emphasis. ** _“especially not now that he's gone bonkers."_**

Sci blinked. "Uh... Wasn't Nightmare always crazy…?"

 ** _"well now he's_** **completely _insane."_** 82 deadpanned, even though there was the smallest hint of fear in his voice. **_"i_ mean _it. there are no more threats, everything is resolved with brutal violence. you can’t look at or talk to him if he doesn’t want you to, you can’t leave, you can’t do anything. heck, he'll murder you if you breathe in his direction. the power he got from his brother made him lose his mind or something..."_**

Blueberry startled, immediately forgetting about everything to remember one single, crucial thing. "W- WAIT... DREAM IS HERE, RIGHT?"

**_"down here? sure he is. but... i hope you're not planning on helping him..."_ **

"WHY... W-WHY NOT...?"

**_"...he lost his mind, too, except in a non-violent way. everything that’s happened to him before? all of that is mercy compared to what he’s been through since he lost that fight. he's traumatized and terrified of everything. i doubt you can do anything for him past this point."_ **

“…fight?” Shenshe meekly muttered, ears completely pressed back.

 **_“oh, yeah, he actually fought back, and he_ ** **had _a pretty good chance at winning too. i have no idea what happened to him before that, but he changed. he_ literally _changed. i was actually rooting for him, maybe that way we would be free as well… too bad.”_**

There was no questioning why everyone was yet again wordless and shocked, and Blueberry was the only one who managed to assimilate what had happened in their absence to say anything. "…PLEASE... PLEASE LET US SEE HIM." he almost sobbed, tears threatening to well in his eyes. His voice was hurting and broken and 82 felt the closest to his hypothetical heart breaking.

 ** _"i... i can't do that."_** he lowly confessed, seemingly regretting it but not entirely showing it. **_"nightmare is hellbent on killing you and he’s overly strict with us. if he found out i set you free and let you help his brother..."_** He shuddered.

"THEN… THEN YOU CAN COME WITH US."

Everyone looked at Blueberry in fear he'd gone mad, but the little skeleton was steadfast and serious as anyone could be. He could not consider 82 as a threat, and if anything he had told him the day they first met was true, then he definitely deserved better than the hell he was living. He wasn’t willing to leave anyone behind, no matter the risk. "IF WE GET OUT, WE WON'T BE HERE TO STAY. WE ALREADY KNEW OF A SAFE PLACE, AND WE MIGHT STILL BE ABLE TO GET THERE. YOU CAN COME TOO AND FORGET ABOUT ALL OF THIS."

82 fidgeted nervously and uneasily, and that guilt slowly got stronger and stronger, heavy, too powerful for him to contain it and pretend that he didn't care for the oddball group of crazy heroes he had actually admired for so long.

He steered past Papyrus' and, strangely, Sci's looks of disapproval towards him and Blueberry. The chances of them even getting _near_ the exit to that place without anybody noticing were extremely slim, but, at least... he would be able to undo his mistakes. He too had been commanded to abandon all those people in cells and ruin others' lives by jinxing their attempts at surviving, and he couldn’t live with that.

There was nothing left for him there. Every new specter that was created was immediately forced to undergo cruel training to become a killing machine, and there was little to no innocence left on any of them. 40, the only friend he’d ever had there, had been killed when panic took over him and caused him to flee; Nightmare sent the first group of Papyruses he set his sight on after him, commanded them to bring him back, and forced everyone to watch him die, promising that anyone who tore their sight away would be next.

He didn’t know why Nightmare still wanted _him_ around, but it was his last desire to stay, because everyone had become overly violent and the melting skeleton gave them more freedom to settle their disputes by fighting each other than ever before, simply to watch them suffer.

He wanted to get out and he wanted to stop making people miserable.

**_“…i… you know what? …fine. everyone. out.”_ **

Even Blueberry took a step back out of surprise when the seemingly indignant skeleton placed a clawed hand around one of the bars, disintegrating all of them in the process. Nobody moved.

 ** _“i’m tired and sick of this.”_** 82 walked away, but only took a few steps before turning around, seeing no movement whatsoever from the hesitant group. He had expected the skeptical gazes, and he paid them no more mind than necessary. **_“c’mon, you’d better not stall. i know i’m not precisely trustworthy, but this place messes with your mind pretty quickly.”_**

Exchanging unsure glances between each other, they finally mustered the courage to walk out, one by one, Papyrus being the first to make sure it wasn’t yet another trap, because, truthfully, everything felt too out of place. But he wasn’t about to stop and ponder about what was happening and why; he didn’t want to be there, and if they had a chance to escape, he would take it no matter the risk.

**_“ah, i believe this is yours.”_ **

Arel startled when his sword was thrown at him, rather recklessly, and he momentarily fumbled with the hilt while trying his best to keep his fingers – and face – away from the blade. He gave 82 a cold look, sheathing the weapon, as the dark skeleton tossed the portal watch back to Sci, and he seemed overly content about it, much like a child who had just received a new toy.

Papyrus still wasn’t fully convinced, and Core looked skeptical as well; too much had been going on and everything was happening too quickly and without explanations. Everyone else seemed fine, though, and Blueberry couldn’t help but give his brother a sympathetically smug grin.

“…just what is wrong with you?” the orange-clad skeleton asked his much darker clone, who frowned at him in response.

**_“a lot of things. now do you want to see the little sunshine or what?”_ **

There were no second thoughts about that; their time was severely limited, but there was insecurity and apprehension. They just hoped they could still do something for Dream before it was ultimately too late, and 82’s comments on his status hadn’t been reassuring. It was hard to hang on to hope there; it was constantly being torn apart.

“Are you sure no one’s gonna see us?” Sci timidly asked, looking around him before joining the others already on the move. His question proved to be mutual concern, if their expressions and looks towards 82 said anything.

**_“nah. sound travels in a weird way here unless you’re right next to its source, and the others are all the way down the corridor. they won’t hear.”_ **

“You’d better hope so, punk.” Arel muttered under his breath. The black Papyrus was about to make a witty remark when the monochromatic child changed the subject.

_“H-hey… And all these people?”_

Core couldn’t help but stop and stare at the other many cells, that weren’t empty at all. And those that _were_ empty… they were covered in dust, or blood, or both. It was then when everyone else realized that they were not alone down there, and they froze at the sight of the many wounded and cowering humans and monsters.

That dust and blood could have been theirs.

 ** _“oh, those…”_** 82 took in a shallow breath before explaining; it wasn’t his favorite subject, especially not there. **_“nightmare doesn’t like it when people defy him. those who were ‘brave’ enough to stand up to him were taken here, and here have they stayed for quite some time, being terrorized every single day of their lives until they broke or died.”_**

He could hear the ever-so-silent gasps of the others as they looked around them, anguished. Most of the prisoners were humans, a few Sanses, the rare Papyrus, some Undyne here and there, the typical fighters, and all of them were badly injured, unconscious, disoriented or simply cowering in terror. Blueberry wanted to pry his sight off that horror, but those unfortunate creatures were all around him.

**_“…this is what the entire multiverse will be like if nightmare isn’t stopped.”_ **

82 kept walking without waiting for an answer or reaction from the others, but he could practically feel the dread they radiated as they hesitantly kept following him, wordlessly, afraid.

The thought of everything becoming a realm of darkness was the most horrifying thing anyone had ever thought of. Imagining everyone being like those hapless monsters and humans trapped without any help or comfort, constantly being hurt and tormented, forgetting who they were and believing they only existed to suffer…

82 knew he and the other minions would end up that way, too. Nightmare only needed them because the multiverse was big, and it would be easier to take over everything with an army. Once he gained full control over every timeline out there, they would surely be left to die, as so would everyone else, over the course of probably years.

Sometimes, he felt like it was his fault. He had been commanded to be the spy, the one who would ruin every plan and idea, the one who would break all options. If only he wasn’t afraid of death, he could have done something to stop himself… or perhaps he was simply overthinking it.

He finally stopped between two cells. **_“…and here’s your friend.”_** He weakly signaled to the cage in front of him. **_“try not to make much of a fuss… he’s scared of even his own thoughts.”_**

Silently, he disintegrated the bars, and cautiously, Blueberry stepped forward first. He knew Dream had always trusted him more than the others, but the way 82 had described his condition… He had gone back to square one, and Blueberry feared he had forgotten everything. If he had, everything could go wrong…

He was stupefied at the sight as he meekly peeked in.

Dream was nestled in the far corner, knees pressed against his chest as he hugged himself in search for protection against the cold and the fear. His eyes were shut tight, trembling as much as the rest of his body, like he was bracing himself for pain.

It was an instant reaction. He received no other thing when the cell opened.

Blueberry barely even noticed the change in attire; all he cared about was that web of cracks covering one of his eyes, the many gashes in his arms, the cuts, cracks and bruises around his skull… he wanted to cry.

The others stayed behind him, waiting for a reaction; they didn’t want to look in together, just in case, but the look of sheer horror on the blue skeleton’s face told them all they needed to know, and their hearts sank in unison. They suddenly didn’t want to see Dream’s condition, but Shenshe couldn’t help but carefully join a distraught Blueberry, fearing the worst.

She silenced her own gasp.

Ever so cautiously, driven by dread and the urge to bawl his eyes out, Blueberry slowly walked in, trying not to rush any of his movements. Saddened glances were exchanged before any of the others dared to step forward as well.

“h-how… how is he?” Papyrus lowly asked, taking a small, single step forth and hoping the answer wouldn’t be as bad as he fully expected it to be, given his brother’s reaction.

“I…” Shenshe paused, gulped, and unlike Blueberry, there was nothing she could do against the tears that clouded her crimson eyes. “I don’t think he’s in any condition to go anywhere…”

Blueberry slowly approached the cowering skeleton, his attempts to fight off the tears almost futile. He didn’t even know what to say, or what to do; he had seen many things, too many for him to handle like it was nothing, but never such a merciless act of cruelty. He could only hope he wasn’t too late, but it truly looked like so.

“H… HEY…” He crouched beside Dream, trying not to be too hasty. He seemed to shrink when he noted someone’s presence near him, but he couldn’t leave his side. “DREAM, IT’S… IT’S ME… I’M… I-I’M YOUR FRIEND… I’M NOT GOING TO HURT YOU…” He tried to reach out a hand, but Dream recoiled with a horrified whimper when the other’s phalanges barely touched his shoulder, and Blueberry immediately pulled away. “NO, NO, IT’S OKAY, PLEASE, I WON’T HURT YOU…!”

Trying to calm him down, he placed a hand on the other’s arm, adding no pressure whatsoever and gently stroking it in a pacifying manner, quietly hushing the terrorized skeleton. “IT’S OKAY… IT’S OKAY… SEE? I DON’T WANT TO HURT YOU… I WANT TO HELP YOU… PLEASE…”

It took a while until Dream’s hurried and ragged breathing seemed to slowly mellow, but he was no less tense, and he was tearlessly sobbing.

He didn’t understand why he wasn’t in pain, why the voice talking to him was gentle as opposed to threatening and commanding, why he felt warmth instead of despair. He didn’t know who was next to him. He didn’t want to know. There was only pain and screaming when the cell was opened. He couldn’t understand why someone would try to reassure him when everyone was the same.

It had to be a trick.

Blueberry barely realized that Papyrus had also peeked in after hearing his startled voice, and was no less horrified than the others. The blue skeleton simply couldn’t take his attention elsewhere; Dream needed urgent help, and he was not going anywhere until he calmed down. At least he let him stay close… but he was still panicking, and that was nowhere near a good sign.

“PAP…”

He immediately had his brother’s attention.

“GET EVERYONE OUT OF HERE. WE CAN’T STAY HERE FOR LONG.”

Papyrus dithered, but given the situation, he didn’t have many more choices. Dream only needed one person with him; everyone would be better off doing something more productive than staring in horror and trying to say something that would somehow lighten the mood. It almost scared him how serious Blueberry sounded.

The older skeleton immediately looked at Arel and Shenshe, “alright. you guys stay with him. time for a breakout.”

 ** _“_** ** _̸_** ** _I_** ** _d_** ** _̸_** ** _on_** ** _̕_** ** _’_** ** _t_** **_̷_** ** _t_** ** _̨_** ** _h_** ** _͘_** ** _in_** ** _͞_** ** _k s_** ** _̶_** ** _o_** ** _͢_** ** _._** ** _”_** ** _͘_**

Everyone startled, almost jumping like skittish cats, and a sudden wave of despair surrounded everyone and everything like a mist. Papyrus would have never thought of a sight more dreadful than a traumatized and badly wounded Dream, but it existed – and it was the sight of a very angry, melting skeleton with an entire army of equally dark beings growling like feral animals.

They were behind them too. Surrounded again.

It didn’t seem like they would be able to choose between being imprisoned or being killed that time.

“…P-PAP…?”

Blueberry wanted to stand up and know what was going on, but he simply could _not_ leave Dream’s side, and Papyrus was quick to stop him.

“you stay _right there_.” The eldest pointed a finger at him whilst he backed away from something the younger skeleton couldn’t see, but he didn’t need his eyes to tell what was happening. While Arel and Shenshe retreated into the cell to protect the more defenseless skeletons, Blueberry couldn’t help but notice how horrified Dream was all of a sudden; his eye had opened to reveal a pinprick-sized pupil, darting around in utter horror. He didn’t seem to acknowledge him beside him.

Seeing how shocked and frightened 82 was, Papyrus realized that he had nothing to do with that second and very inopportune ambush, but that was no less concerning; in fact, it was even more so. Nightmare stared at them blankly, but with a glare so powerful that could make them cower in fear.

There were no second thoughts.

 **_“K_ ** **_̷_ ** **_ill_ ** **_͝_ ** **_t_ ** **_̕_ ** **_hem._ ** **_̨_ ** **_”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it took me so long to update again aaaaaa.
> 
> so we're nearing the end of this heart-wrenching feel train. ;-; there shouldn't be more than four chapters left, counting this one. i couldn't decide on how i wanted to end it, but i've finally gotten it sorted out, and believe me... it's 100% assured: you're gonna cry.


	23. Let Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He chuckled as the others in the back wept at the atrocity they had witnessed, at their hopelessness. They couldn't bear to watch, or hear the sounds of the ongoing massacre behind them.
> 
> They felt empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter got really dark really fast.  
> there'll be lots of blood and pain and suffering for everyone.  
> take the warning, hug your teddy bears, and don't feel obligated to forgive me. ;-;

The sight of those many, sword-wielding skeletons slowly walking towards them with fanged grins was ominous and tense, just as ominous and tense as having in mind that they were blocking any way out. Papyrus kept a hateful glare on the vast group approaching from the front, also watching out for the much more dangerous skeleton of tar, while Sci nervously observed the others coming from behind them. They looked way more aggressive and frightening than ever before.

"you two. out." the tall skeleton quietly instructed the hesitant residents of Dreamtale, not taking his eyes off his murderous copies for even a second. "looks like we need a change of plans."

The scientist behind him whimpered anxiously, and Papyrus couldn't help a nervous look back. They were badly outnumbered, and they would need as much teamwork as possible if they wanted to have even a little chance to get out of there relatively unscathed. Those skeletons had been somewhat easy to beat last time they attacked, but only because their numbers had been less, and because there was much more ground to move across. There, however, they were heavily enclosed, and playing by their rules.

Arel was the first to boldly step outside, unsheathing his sword without second thoughts or words and driven by his hatred towards those dark beings, but the white critter beside him wasn't so sure about it. She was feisty, but skittish and frail, and had never been in a serious battle before. She was up against probably hundreds of skeletons with swords, a bad attitude and a desire to kill – what was someone so small and devoid of weaponry supposed to do, even with help?

She looked back at Dream and Blueberry, both looking terrified, especially the former. She would rather stay with them and make sure they were alright, but even the smallest of critters was needed in the fight, and she knew she would feel guilty if she ultimately chose to stand still and watch the others battle for their lives.

Blueberry noticed her worry soon enough. He appreciated the concern, but too many people staying there was bound to end badly. He was the only one who had no intentions to fight at all and the one Dream had always trusted the most, even if his mind was too broken for him to even remember anybody there; he should be the only one staying with him. "I-IT'S FINE, GO HELP THEM."

Nothing was fine, he knew that much, but he had to ease his nerves despite everything. He felt the same kind of anxiety that always struck before he started glitching; he was afraid it would happen there, afraid it would drive him into a panic attack and leave himself even more vulnerable than he already was. By all means, he had to remain calm.

Shenshe stalled in thought, hearing the clash of swords and seeing the fierce glow of magic flaring from Papyrus' eye as he charged. She along with Core and Sci didn't have many ways of aiding, but they were determined to fight for their freedom. It didn't take her long to realize that the other two were already helping however they could: Sci anxiously fought to the best of his abilities, always staying near Papyrus, whilst Core accidentally figured out they could trick the skeletons into trying to tackle them only to phase through their body and hit the wall or one another instead.

Shenshe made up her mind, and joined the battle with what little she had. It was the only way to keep the two skeletons safe, even if she didn't know what she was supposed to do. At least, she was small and nimble; taking those skeletons' attention to let the others attack them while they were distracted would be helpful, at least.

Everyone disappeared from sight, a few dark skeletons rushing past every now and again, and Blueberry couldn't help but shrink; fear struck him with the might of lighting, and he couldn't fight against it. It was anything but rational, a mixture between a rush of adrenaline and otherworldly dread that kept him cold and motionless, and he didn't like it one bit.

His hand was still placed on Dream's arm as he kept his eyes fixated on the outside, making sure no specter was too close for comfort, and he could feel how much the other skeleton was shaking. He was notably cold to the touch; Blueberry guessed that place was actually frigid, having in mind Arel and Shenshe and any other human or monster caged in there's initial reaction to the atmosphere.

He still wondered if they would even have a chance to free them.

The small skeleton only pried his attention off the unseen commotion right outside when he heard Dream breathlessly muttering almost unintelligible, shuddering words drenched in heartfelt dread; what he could overhear the most were terrified no's. He wanted to cry again at the pitiful sight, but he felt like he shouldn't. He had to remain calm, no matter how much he was emotionally aching.

Dream was almost hyperventilating, a single, lifeless pupil still darting around as though there were a thousand ghosts only he could see swarming him like flies. He barely remembered there was someone with him; all he could think about was that the pain was going to return and that he simply couldn't take it anymore. Something within him was breaking, much like his mind had. He was running out of time.

Against all odds, realizing that he was with someone who wasn't actively trying to hurt him for reasons he still couldn't understand was the only thing that almost took his fear away and replaced it with the only hope he could hold on to – the hope of being ripped off of that miserable world of torment.

…third time's the charm, right?

Blueberry was glad he didn't have flowing blood constantly running through his body, because what Dream told him when he slowly faced him like he was his lifeline with a single eye that screamed desperation would have made it run cold enough to freeze him on the spot.

"…y… you have… t-to kill me…"

Blueberry _did_ look like he had frozen, though, and he was cold enough to believe so. Dream continued before he could say anything – not like he _would_ have been able to say anything anytime soon, – sobbing every now and then, his voice low and fearful and broken.

"...I... I c-can't… I d-don't want to s-st-stay here... They're... t-t-they're coming f-for me... All t-they want is t-to hurt me... I can't... I can't s-stand it... H... h-h- _he_ wants to break me..." Blueberry jolted when Dream grasped his hand, tears of gold welling in his eyes. "P... p-please... please, end me..."

Blueberry stared in disbelief, motionless, his breathing gradually becoming faster. He was suddenly shaking, too, and all he could see was himself helpless against the broken skeleton he thought was his friend, attacking him and wishing to kill him, and he saw himself mindlessly taking his life, engraving the image into his mind.

He couldn't.

 _He couldn't_.

He was incapable of killing anyone, no matter the reason; he would rather kill himself first before taking a life, be it one full of innocence or the one of a ruthless murderer. He wouldn't be able to live with it – he already wasn't able to fully live with it. There had to be another way. There _had_ to. He couldn't deny that Dream looked helpless, his spirit completely shattered and his mind corrupted, worse than he had ever been before, but... Blueberry simply could not see death as an option...

"N... N-NO... NO, I CAN'T- I CAN'T DO THAT..." More tears flowed down the other skeleton's scarred cheekbones, and he almost seemed angry, but fear and desperation kept any other trait hidden. "LOOK... WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE, A-ALRIGHT? WE'LL GO SOMEWHERE SAFE, WE'LL HEAL YOU... WE'LL FIX EVERYTHING, OKAY? WE'LL FIND ANOTHER WAY."

Dream uttered a small, breathless, disbelieved laugh that almost sounded more like a muffled weep, closing his single eye. "You can't get out... H-he's here... H-he'll kill all of you... And… and t-then… h-h-he'll come after m-me…" His grip on Blueberry's hand tightened as he pitifully looked up at him. "Please... You can't... 'h-help' me... It hurts t-too much... End it... B-before he realizes..."

Blueberry was again staring wordlessly... and he felt his own tears stinging his eyes like venom. The way Dream was begging him to kill him in tears broke his hypothetical heart in millions of pieces that would never be fixed, lost forever, and he was really cold and he was shaking and he was afraid and he didn't know what to do; his mind was spinning too fast for his own good.

He was so submerged in his own thoughts that he almost didn't see Dream flinch and freeze on the spot. Blueberry briefly glanced at him when he noticed the small movement, barely, and realized, much to his dismay, that the wounded skeleton's attention was no longer on him, but on something behind him. The grip on his hand gradually loosened, and for a moment, Blueberry felt completely numb.

There was an uncannily dark aura surrounding them.

With the stressful sounds of the fight still vivid behind him, Blueberry slowly turned around, _hoping_ to see that one of those dark skeletons had spotted them, but his worst suspicions turned out to be true – he jumped back when he saw an ominous Nightmare staring at the both of them with unadulterated hatred and malice and the sick will to hurt instead of any other skeleton.

Blueberry found himself still as stone between the two brothers, serving as a useless barrier that was bound to crumble one way or another. The blue skeleton's mind raced painfully and shot scrambled ideas that didn't make any sense as the melting creature advanced towards him without words, towards Dream, but he simply couldn't move or call for help or do anything for that matter.

**_"Get out of my way."_ **

Blueberry didn't.

Not because he wasn't about to leave Dream defenseless, but because he realized that he was utterly paralyzed by fear, like the thing itself was keeping him pinned, rooting his feet to the ground. The amount of dark energy radiating off the ominous skeleton was too powerful, smothering him like the smoke of a wildfire. It was something else entirely, clouding his soul with bitterness and bad vibes.

He wanted to defy the approaching monster, show his strength of will, shout a strong-willed _no_ , but he couldn't utter a word and he only shrunk as Nightmare continued approaching. His glare felt like acid, growing more and more annoyed and dangerous as he inched closer.

 **_"I said. Get. Out. Of_ ** **_̷ḿ_ ** **_y_ ** **_̵_ ** **_wa_ ** **_̛_ ** **_y."_ **

He swiped the much smaller skeleton aside with ease, and Dream threw his hands over his cracked skull and looked away at the sudden impact.

Blueberry harshly collided against the stone floor, and the side of his ribcage ached badly as he tried to get up. Eerie fear was still surrounding him, trying to take over him and keep him still along with the pain, but he couldn't stand and stare when he realized that Nightmare wasn't focused on him but on his cowering brother.

"S-STOP! LEAVE HIM _ALONE!_ "

He didn't know how he got up so easily, why his tone raised so much, or where that courage came from, but he did know it left as quickly as it arrived when Nightmare's unforgiving glare snapped towards him, and he helplessly froze again.

82 had warned them that he no longer tolerated even undesired eye contact, and Blueberry was not only blatantly provoking him but doing everything he supposedly was not allowed to do in his presence. He knew he was recklessly getting in the way of death, but he simply wasn't able to do nothing while Dream was likely about to be killed. It was something his mind refused to accept.

Deep inside, he still regretted doing that, especially when he realized that he had seriously angered Nightmare.

Two tentacles shot toward him before he could react, stabbing through each ribbon of his bandana and, subsequently, the wall behind him, keeping him pinned and slightly choking him. Nightmare was suddenly right in front of him before he could even try to struggle free, glowering into the depths of his soul with pure fury.

 ** _"W_** ** _͡_** ** _h_** ** _̛_** ** _o_** ** _̴_** ** _do_** ** _̷_** ** _you t_** ** _͝_** ** _h_** ** _í_** ** _nk_** ** _͝_** ** _y_** ** _͡_** ** _ou'_** ** _ŗ_** ** _e t_** ** _͢_** ** _a_** ** _͟_** ** _lki_** ** _̛_** ** _ng_** ** _̶_** ** _t_** ** _͟_** ** _o?"_** the dark skeleton coldly snarled. There was so much negativity radiating off him that Blueberry couldn't even look at him, as though his glower could literally burn his eyes. **_"I am the ruler of this world. The most powerful living being you'll ever have the d́is_** ** _͜_** ** _g_** ** _̛_** ** _r_** ** _ą_** ** _ce to come across. I am_** **this _close to finally having this wretched place succumb to my power, an_** ** _͢_** ** _d_** ** _͝_** **_͞_** ** _som_** ** _̢_** ** _e_** ** _͟_** ** _̀pit_** ** _͜_** ** _i_** ** _͞_** ** _ful_** ** _̛_** **_͡_** ** _h̛ero wan_** ** _̴_** ** _na_** ** _̴_** ** _b_** ** _͡_** ** _e is_** ** _͜_** ** _no_** ** _͡_** ** _t g̀oin_** ** _̵_** ** _g_** ** _̷_** ** _t_** ** _͢_** ** _o s_** ** _͞_** ** _t_** ** _͝_** ** _op_** ** _͡_** ** _m_** ** _̷_** ** _e._** ** _̛_** ** _"_**

He flashed an unsettling grin while the other skeleton cowered, overtaken by sheer terror. **_"I'd almost forgotten, though… You and your friends do have a considerable amount of power within you, no matter how hopeless the situation is. Especially you. Heh, you remind me of my brother with all that pathetic positivity keeping you on the move... ánd_** ** _͝_** ** _loo_** ** _̛_** ** _k_** **_̴_** ** _at_** ** _͢_** ** _ho_** ** _͝_** ** _w i_** ** _͞_** ** _t_** **_͝_** ** _e_** ** _͞_** ** _nd_** ** _͟_** ** _ed_** ** _̶_** ** _fór h_** ** _̕_** ** _i_** ** _̧_** ** _m."_**

Blueberry writhed in panic when more tendrils threatened to coil around his neck while the melting skeleton laughed cruelly, but he was defenseless against him. His soul felt like it was on fire. **_"Ma̧y̕b̀è_** **_̴_** ** _I_** ** _̴_** ** _should_** ** _̵_** ** _just g_** ** _̛_** ** _e_** ** _̨_** ** _t ri_** ** _͝_** ** _d of́_** **_͠_** ** _that_** **_burde_** ** _͝_** ** _n_** ** _́f_** ** _̧_** ** _o_** ** _̵_** ** _r y_** ** _͜_** ** _ou an_** ** _͝_** ** _d put_** ** _̧_** ** _i_** ** _̕_** ** _t t_** ** _̴_** ** _o_** ** _͝_** ** _be_** ** _̧_** ** _t_** ** _̕_** ** _te_** ** _͢_** ** _r_** ** _͢_** ** _use_** ** _͠_** ** _."_**

Nightmare only stopped when something stabbed through his back.

He didn't feel it; he only heard it.

The trio of sharpened bones slowly melted out of existence as Nightmare nonchalantly turned around, not feeling threatened by the seething skeleton behind him. Papyrus hadn't expected that careless reaction, the furious magic in his eye wavering in hesitation as his courage waned, and the dark creature laughed at his gullibility as he dropped the other skeleton; Blueberry coughed, but was too shaken to move away.

 ** _"What's the matter? Did you expect that to hurt me?"_** Nightmare chuckled like the mindless psychopath he was, and Papyrus took a cautious step back without taking his sight off his brother. **_"Too bad, you cannot harm me anymore. Thanks to my be_** ** _͢_** ** _lòved_** ** _̶_** ** _s_** ** _̷_** ** _ib́ling,_** ** _now I'm invincible. Invulnerable. Immortal. You foolish band of rats c_** ** _͠_** ** _a_** ** _ń_** ** _no_** ** _̴_** ** _t_** ** _̴_** ** _s_** ** _̛_** ** _t_** ** _͞_** ** _op_** ** _͟_** ** _me_** ** _̡_** ** _!"_**

Papyrus growled and charged; not after Nightmare but after Blueberry before something else happened to him, being that close to a literal madman who was cackling insanely, but he didn't entirely reach him before Nightmare stepped out of his way and something cold and sharp suddenly pierced through his cervical spine, paralyzing him in the act as he tensed in searing pain.

Blueberry recoiled in horror.

Any expression of pain or shock on his brother's face was slowly erased and replaced by sheer blankness as he slightly hunched and a dark, purple aura surrounded his entire body, and it looked way too familiar–

...no...

 ** _"I tend to forget how much of a nuisance you are when you're together. That whole 'caring about each other' shtick… How pathetic."_** The melting appendage that had stabbed through Papyrus' spine was removed, but no reaction came from the motionless skeleton. " ** _I guess that power can wait, for now... I have more important things to attend to. Well, have fun~"_**

Blueberry was consumed by a wave of cold dread as Papyrus slowly looked at him, expressionless, hunched, covered in an ominous fog, _just like Error–_

Papyrus had only been given one command.

_Scar._

Cyan pupils contracted at the sight of two piercing blasters aimed straight at him; if Blueberry had a heart, it would've burst out of his ribcage at that exact moment, and then shattered. He was being glared at by death itself, but he still didn't move; he couldn't process the fact that his brother was threatening to end his life – _like he had once_ , albeit against his will, too. Everything within him ached like acid consuming his entire being.

"P-PAP...?"

There was no response aside from the skulls whirring as they charged their lethal beams, and tears streamed down the younger's eyes as he scrambled out of the way in horror and the realization that his brother wasn't listening. He didn't notice that the blasters only fired after he was out of their aim; the older skeleton's mind had no order to end but to traumatize, for Nightmare wanted at least one of them alive when he returned. The two swapped siblings would surely hold the most power within the group.

Nightmare watched contently as brother turned on brother, a sight he wished he didn't have to take his attention off of, but he enjoyed it as it happened. He saw the looks of confusion then of horror of the others as they realized their friend was intent on hurting them, the instinctual acceptance by his darker doppelgangers, the confused chaos he brought upon the battle. It felt like observing his own progress in third person, and it was delightful.

Dream hadn't moved an inch since Blueberry put a pause to what would have been his demise, but it was becoming harder to stay still. Another safe chance to die gone, and he doubted he would ever have another – he would have tried getting in the way of the rampant lasers, but Nightmare would have seen him.

 _He had to go_.

Panic rose like overflowing water; he knew that he had only brought himself more pain by trying to escape before, but it surely would not compare to the likely torture he was about to undergo if he stayed. Everyone was too busy trying not to die. He could get out of there and perhaps, thanks to a miracle, get in the way of some slashing sword.

Dream wasn't even thinking things through when he silently scrambled to his feet while Nightmare watched the chaos he had provoked, driven by panic only. It wasn't something he could fight against; he was trying to get to his feet before he could process what he was doing. He knew he wouldn't be able to get far with Nightmare right beside him and an army of skeletons everywhere else, but he still tried because he was terrified out of his mind in the most literal of ways and he simply couldn't handle any more torment.

Thing was, he wasn't able to actually get to his feet before a sword of pure black was suddenly pointed at him, and he sharply pushed himself back in shock. 1's much taller figure towered over him with a white grin. **_"where do you think you're going, buddy?"_**

Dream froze, single pupil intent on the blade way too close to him, the same blade that had caused him excruciating pain, the same blade that had carved through his arms until his voice broke. He couldn't move, not even with panic striking him with the weight of a deadfall and trying to push him forward.

He never realized that Nightmare had been looking at them askance.

As Dream kept his focus on the threatening sword only, his torso was quickly ensnared by tendrils and pulled closer. **_"Oh, trying to escape again, are we?"_** Dream seemed to struggle more fervently, though uselessly; he was too badly hurt and weak to put up much of a fight, but that didn't stop him from trying his best to get away from the incoming pain. _He could have been dead at that point._

Nightmare was only amused by his desperation, chuckling cruelly. **_"There, there,_** **_I know you're eager to go home. For once, I am too_**. ** _"_** Dream winced as the coils tightened further around his battered ribcage. **_"Wouldn't a family reunion be great, br_** ** _̷_** ** _o_** ** _͡_** ** _t_** ** _̨_** ** _her?"_**

It was then when Dream mostly stopped struggling, giving up to his merciless fate being his only option, as Nightmare panned his attention to the specter in front of him. **_"1."_**

The skeleton meekly looked up, though not making direct eye contact.

**_"I've changed my mind. Keep as many of these fools alive as you can, and bring them to me once they are weak enough. Bring the rest of the army once you're done as well. You know where we will be located."_ **

1 couldn't help a small grin, not as confident as he was used to, and saluted without words. The melting creature began to disappear in a cloud of smoke, taking a panicking Dream with him as he broke into a crazy laugh.

Through the commotion, only Blueberry noticed, but he was too busy trying not to be killed by his own brother. He finally knew what Dream had been forced to go through for years, and it wasn't nice.

* * *

Something felt wrong. Something _was_ wrong. Abu couldn't take his eyes off the uncanny sky, a bad presage clouding him in a swarm of despair. It was something different, something he simply couldn't ignore, bad vibes rattling everywhere – there was bitterness all over the place. A young human had asked him what was wrong; everyone felt the same way, apparently.

He had no answer to a question he wished to know himself.

Problem was, there was surely something wrong out there, somewhere in what was left of the multiverse, but there also was something wrong _in_ there if the distant growls and chuckles and the gasps of bystanders were any proof of it.

The grass and earth were quickly turning black from an unknown origin, like an invisible fire was devouring them, and people backed away from the uncanny happening as though it was a river of lava until everything that had once had color lost the battle against darkness. The grey of the sky darkened until it looked like a deadly storm was coming, mixed with deathly red, and everyone was frantically whispering.

Alarmed, the elder and the human beside him turned around, only to see three dark skeletons they regrettably recognized on the roof of a house. They easily caused a few nearby children to back away from them and fearfully run to their families, who had spotted several other skeletons prowling across the village. Their presence sent people running wherever they went, and soon enough, those spectral entities could be found anywhere they looked.

They had attacked once.

Their numbers had definitely increased.

Frightened people tried to find refuge in their homes or those of others, but the dark Papyruses were quick to block their way in, making sure everyone was kept outside. Stalking from the roofs, crawling from behind buildings and boulders, stalking across the plains, the ominous beings soon multiplied to be everywhere. The sudden darkness didn't help; everything reeked of chaos.

Without need to be told so, the few humans and monsters who held powerful magic and had fought before formed a defensive circle around the elder, whose cane was glowing as though it were a staff. No eye was kept away from the prowling skeletons, magic always at the ready.

Others grabbed swords, spears, knives, sticks and stones, anything they could get their hands on to protect themselves, their family and their friends. They falsely thrust their weapons at the specters, trying to scare them off without success, threw small objects at them in an attempt to drive them away. The skeletons merely reacted by taunting them, scaring them, laughing mischievously, always circling them like vicious wolves.

There were more specters than people in the village, all of them armed, and only a few of the residents could actively fight back; they were dangerously outnumbered, and the skeletons took advantage of that to bring even more despair upon the people.

**_"Come now, that's no way to treat family."_ **

The many dark beings stopped taunting the tense monsters and humans, who were hesitant about recklessly attacking such a large number of baleful entities, grinning as they all looked in one general direction. All eyes were immediately looking for the source of a cold voice everybody could recognize.

A startled scream from someone drove the village's attention toward the plains, where the Tree, dull and lifeless, was. And several feet in front of it, right outside the village, was a nonchalant monster of dripping tar, sickly content at everyone's reaction to his mere presence, and even more so at the looks of absolute horror in every face when they saw the wounded Dream snared in his clutches.

A single, shrunken pupil of lifeless grey was looking at the village in false hope that someone would be merciful enough to step up and rid him of the pain. Nobody moved a muscle.

**_"It's our last day together. We should enjoy our time here."_ **

"Let him go!" someone shouted, only to be silenced by a couple of skeletons who falsely lunged to force the feisty human to back off. All the hateful glares that were directed at Nightmare were weak, hesitant; nobody dared to blindly attack the melting creature, but their looks almost wanted to tell otherwise.

 ** _"Oh, I_** **will _let him go."_** Nightmare smiled with venomous sweetness, tilting his head to the side and watching as the many skeletons prowled much closer to the people. He tossed Dream aside, eye of blue fixed on the frightened village. **_"Go, f_** ** _̴_** ** _or_** ** _͘_** ** _e_** ** _̵_** ** _ve_** ** _̕_** ** _r_** ** _̵_** ** _."_**

The dark skeletons went into attack, and swords slashed and magic flared and people ran in despair. Nightmare had been planning the onslaught for quite some time, having decided to make a single exception; he wanted everyone in that timeline _dead_. He wanted it destroyed, lifeless, quieter than a ghost town and filled with only death and dread. He knew exactly how many universes were still intact; he didn't need his own.

While chaos rumbled all across the dark, ominous timeline, Dream tried to crawl away from the creature behind him; he was so terrified that his limbs felt too numb to let him stand up, _but he didn't want more pain_ –

He was bashed on the side, landing on his back, and a foot of black slammed onto his chest for good measure. Even despite his desperation, his mental fight to urge himself to do anything to get away from the pain, Dream never tried to struggle. He knew it was useless and would only make things worse; he only dropped his head in defeat, and Nightmare chuckled.

 ** _"What's the matter? Didn't you want to come back here? Or perhaps you didn't... It doesn't seem like these fools missed you that much given that nobody is doing anything for their beloved guardian."_** Dream wheezed weakly as Nightmare crouched closer to him, crossing his arms over his knee; he felt the frail, already battered ribs bend and crackle beneath him.

Dream not once looked at him, keeping his eyes tightly closed. He did open one briefly to have a glimpse of the chaotic village, still hoping anyone would have the mercy to end him, but everyone was too focused on trying not to die. Explosions and dust and blood filled what had been a peaceful village a moment ago.

"P-please... J-just... j-j-just kill me..."

Nightmare only responded with a quiet, mocking chuckle. **_"Don't worry about that. You_ are _going to die. Of course, nobody said it would be quick..."_** The smaller skeleton fell into a look of sheer terror when Nightmare grasped his wrist before he had a chance to pull away as he rose upright. **_"Or painless..."_**

Nightmare watched with an amused grin as his brother tried to free himself from his grip with little success, whimpering in horror and pain. **_"You know I'm not what you would call... a blatant liar. I have very few reasons to ever lie."_** With the other hand, he took hold of the gloved thumb, his grin wider and maniacal. **_"And I wasn't lying when I said I would break every single bone in your body."_**

"W-w-wait, w-what are you–"

He quickly bent the finger to the side, easily breaking it and causing Dream to yelp as the sharp pain shocked him. Chuckling quietly, Nightmare moved on to the index. **_"Oh, come on, you've been through worse pain than that. At this point, this shouldn't even hurt at all."_** He pulled the phalange back until he heard it crack and Dream jolted, but didn't let go. **_"Unless I_ want _it to hurt."_**

He held it down for a few seconds, tearing a scream out of his sibling before he finally let go to switch over to the next, frail bone. Dream was breathing quickly and heavily, trying to drown out the pain, but he flinched and yelped again when the middle finger was promptly broken along with the others and held down until it was impossible not to shriek.

 ** _"You should blame yourself for this."_** The melting hand took hold of the fourth phalange, pulling it back at a slower pace than the others. **_"Yourself and the old hag you call your mother. You wouldn't be going through this if it weren't for that cursed bond."_** Another brief scream as the ring finger broke. Dream knew Nightmare wasn't complaining. **_"If everything I've done wasn't enough to break it, then you don't know what true pain is. And I'll make sure you never forget what it feels like."_** One last yowl of pain as the pinkie was pulled sideways and cracked. Nightmare still didn't let go of his wrist.

The dark skeleton slightly tilted his head, grin perennial. **_"Huh… guess that still wasn't painful enough."_** Dream stifled a gasp as Nightmare tightly grasped his hand, forcing his broken phalanges to curl. **_"If something so small really hurt that much, I can't wait to hear your reaction to this."_**

He slowly began twisting his hand sideways, and after a couple of seconds, the stinging pain of the bones giving in could already be felt. Dream tried to pull his hand away, but it only seemed to make it worse. He was too desperate to care, though, and kept trying until the carpus finally broke with an audible crack.

Dream screamed in agony, kicking the ground in an anguished attempt to escape as Nightmare kept twisting the broken wrist. He wanted to prolong the pain of each broken bone as much as was possible, increasing the chances of it being intense enough to shatter the cursed link that kept the younger skeleton alive against his brother's wishes; and simply to enjoy what would soon be his death.

"STOP! P-PLEASE, _STOP!_ "

Nightmare did stop, but kept the wrist twisted at an angle as he laughed. **_"I'm sorry, does that hurt?"_** Dream continued to breathe heavily, feebly writhing. **_"Huh? Do_** ** _͜_** ** _e_** ** _̢_** ** _s it́?"_** Albeit slightly, Nightmare pulled the wrist back, forcing another scream out of his brother. He was crying. **_"Yeah, I believe it does."_**

Dream couldn't help but let out a teary sigh as Nightmare let go of his hand, but not of his wrist. His eye fluttered open, shrunken with pure, unadulterated terror and filled with tears, as a single tentacle coiled around his slashed radius and ulna; he flinched silently.

**_"To think a single arm already has so many bones to break... I don't think we'll be halfway there before you can't even scream anymore."_ **

"N-no... d-don't..."

The melting appendage tightened until the ulna bent inwards and snapped with an awful crack, mostly silenced by an agonized shriek. Nightmare didn't loosen his grip on the slightest, smiling diabolically. **_"Let them know in how much pain you are. Let them realize that they have never truly cared about you."_**

"Why… W-why are y-you… d-doing this… Why won't y-you just… k-kill me..."

The smile prevailed as Nightmare dropped the fragile, almost completely broken arm. **_"It's nothing but a matter of personal revenge. This place does not deserve to exist, much like you don't deserve to live. And I plan of erasing you both of existence like you de_** ** _͝_** ** _se_** ** _̶_** ** _rv_** ** _̨_** ** _e t_** ** _̛_** ** _o_** ** _͢_** ** _b_** ** _͡_** ** _e. I know you don't remember or care about this place anymore, but let's just pretend, alright? Besides… I still can't end you, remember?"_**

The pain of his broken arm was so atrocious that Dream barely realized his other hand was lifted as well. Tears of horror filled his single eye as the melting hand hovered over his thumb, and he was desperately trying to pull away even if it didn't move an inch. "No! Please, don't! _Please!_ "

All he was answered with was a cruel, cold, unforgiving chuckle as the thumb was promptly broken. ** _"Exactly. Be afraid. Let it take over you."_** Another finger broken, another yelp of pain. **_"You hate me. You fear me. You shouldn't see me as a brother."_** Another one. **_"Hang on to that mindset. I don't want you to be my brother."_** One more. **_"I want you to suffer. I want you to_ die _."_** He grinned as the last phalange was broken, grasping the gloved hand and causing Dream to panic.

"W-w-wait, p-please, don't do it!" No mind was paid to his desperate pleas as Nightmare began to slowly wring his hand. "STOP! NO! STOP, PLE–!"

He let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain as his other wrist audibly broke. As Nightmare bent his hand backwards while he kept slowly twisting it, he used the same dark magic he had used to torture him before, watching as faint, black fog began to envelop the agonizing skeleton.

Dream was quick to remember that smoke around him. "NO! NO! NO!! STOP! ANYTHING BUT THAT!! NO! DON'T!!" The fog shot all over him like electricity, causing excruciating pain while his frail bones kept being pitilessly twisted. Dream thrashed uselessly and shrieked, but nothing could stop the searing agony. "P-PLEASE, IT HURTS! STOP! PLEASE!! STOP IT!!! _GET AWAY FROM ME!!!"_

Something snapped.

Something that couldn't be seen or heard, but felt.

Something that wasn't the bones he was mercilessly breaking, and Nightmare lost his smile when something pinched the depths of his cold, unforgiving soul much like a harsh, static shock.

His grip loosened with him barely noticing, the smoke fading out of sight, the screams stopping, his brother gasping for breath and sobbing. His... 'brother'.

**_"It's broken..."_ **

His smile was slowly regained, wide enough it could zip off his head. His pupil was nothing but a minuscule, psychopathic dot as he chuckled, laughed, guffawed in utter victory, letting go of Dream's arm in a fit of mirth. **_"It's finally broken..._** ** _F_** ** _i_** ** _̨_** ** _n_** ** _̴_** ** _a_** ** _͘_** ** _lly_** ** _...!"_**

It had shattered.

The only thing that kept Dream alive had shattered forever.

He had undergone so much pain, so much fear, so much trauma, an endless loop of agony that had gone on for too long; everything had mixed into a deep feeling of hatred and terror, and the fact that it had all been caused by the only family he had left had been the last straw. Dream couldn't see the creature that was so intent on hurting him as someone he had known, but as an awful abomination that was going to annihilate him.

He was more afraid than he had ever been, but he couldn't move.

Nightmare still heard the certain sound of more of his skeletons teleporting in as he laughed, followed by someone else's pained and distressed complaints, and the melting skeleton slowly turned around with a petty, hateful grin. As he had guessed, 1 was back with the rest of the army, a few of them promptly joining the destruction, and the once so valiant group down, exhausted and wounded at their feet.

Papyrus was still nothing but a mindless machine, the one that had mostly defeated his own friends without a care and without a scratch. His sibling had ended up with a broken fibula by trying to outrun him and subsequently being stabbed through the leg by a rampant, sharpened bone. He went dead silent after that, no matter what happened. He still didn't utter a word.

Sci was more exhausted than he was hurt; he had been the last to be caught, and instantly surrendered when he realized that they had been defeated. He had been targeted a lot for being one of the weakest, though; he was lucky to only have a few minor cuts after the fight he had gone through. His portal watch had been destroyed for good measure right in front of his eyes when he gave up.

Shenshe had lost half her ear as a result of getting in the way of a vicious blade that could have granted a downed Arel an almost lethal cut through his chest for being so resistant and feisty, and white was still partially red. The sight of a friend bleeding, _for him_ , shut off his will to fight instantly. He gave up on his own for the sake of stopping the barbarity.

Core had been able to do nothing but watch as their friends were viciously brought down one by one, many skeletons laughing at their teary gaze. They, too, had gone sorrowfully quiet, their empty gaze low and almost emotionless.

And 82? 82 had always known he would never be strong enough if the others were to attack him, and so it had been.

Nightmare seemed content at the sight of everyone broken, defeated, their spirits completely devastated, but no more content than he was about his ultimate victory. They were defenseless against anything that was thrown at them. Everything was going just smoothly, and Nightmare couldn't help having a closer look at the downed heroes, brush the sting of downfall in their scarred faces.

Dream wheezed as his brother stepped away from him, rolling to his side as tears of pain and terror continued to stream down his eyes. Agony was still viciously gnawing at him, worse than anything he had ever gone through before. He had already seen himself torn apart in awful night terrors that kept tormenting his mind, but an illusion couldn't compare to what it truly felt like. A single broken bone was a living nightmare for any skeleton.

He was still intent on getting away, away from that _monster_ , but only in his mind. He could barely move. He still had feeling in his arms, against all odds, though barely, and he wasn't in any condition to even try and get up. He unconsciously tried to curl his snapped phalanges, only to flinch as burning pain shot through him.

**_"Well, well, well... would you look at that? The invincible gang finally defeated like a mere pest. What does failure feel like, mh?"_ **

Nobody said anything, looking away from him, except for Blueberry whose low, sorrowed gaze was fixed on Dream. Arel still had the audacity to utter a small growl, but nothing else.

Papyrus blinked several times and stepped back in sheer confusion and numbness as he was released from the mind control. Being the only one unscathed, he wasn't given much time to react before 1 plunged his sword into his shoulder, easily bringing him down with a pained scream that instantly drove Blueberry's attention towards him as he fell to his knees beside him. He clutched his shoulder as the blade was removed, barely hearing or feeling his concerned friends, and especially his brother.

It was after that that screams and explosions echoed all across, that dust was blown through the desolated land, that the smell of smoke could be perceived, and Arel had barely realized where they had been brought to with so much uncanny darkness until he saw the Tree. He instantly turned around, all the fury and pain engraved in his expression disappearing and leaving place for horror to settle in.

He only needed one second to see his village burn, his companions and friends killed, his grandfather fighting valiantly along with other humans, before he broke.

"NO!"

He tried to sprint towards them even if his sword had once again been taken away for good, but found himself letting out a choked scream as one of the skeletons behind him stabbed him on his lower side with not a sword but a slightly shorter, equally dark dagger. The human was quickly brought down as well, tightly pressing his hands against the bleeding injury.

 ** _"Temper there."_** Nightmare smiled sadistically. **_"No need to be so hasty, you will all join them soon enough... as soon as you've watched the little ball of sunshine d i e."_**

He turned towards his brother, mildly surprised to actually see him try to crawl away though with barely any success. It was an utter impossibility for his arms to hold any weight, and Dream fearfully acknowledged that he wasn't going anywhere.

Blueberry had to be restrained by one of the specters as he tried to rush towards Nightmare with tears in his eyes. "NO! DON'T KILL HIM, PLEASE! THIS IS ENOUGH, _STOP THIS!"_

Nightmare paid no mind to the blue skeleton's anguished shrieks, to anyone else's, focused only on the downed, trembling skeleton in front of him like nothing else existed. He was suddenly consumed by hatred; a hatred so intense, so heartfelt, a type he had never felt before. It was pure, unadulterated fury, a vengeful desire stronger than anything else. Everything was as red as his loathing.

He wanted to destroy him.

He wanted to tear him to pieces.

He had to die.

Nightmare welcomed that crazed hatred with open arms.

 **_"̕Y_ ** **_͢_ ** **_ou_ ** **_̶_ ** **_p_ ** **_̢_ ** **_at_ ** **_͡_ ** **_h̕e̛t_ ** **_͜_ ** **_ic_ ** **_̧_ ** **_p_ ** **_̧_ ** **_i_ ** **_͟_ ** **_ec̀e_ ** **_̕_ ** **_o_ ** **_̢_ ** **_f_ ** **_̴_ ** **_fil_ ** **_͟_ ** **_th_ ** **_̨…_ ** **_"_ **

Dream froze when he felt the utter rage radiating off the melting creature, the hatred, the sheer desire to murder him, and he slowly looked at him sideways with more fear than he had ever looked at him with before.

His ribcage was bashed with great force, sending him tumbling back until he collided against the dead wood of what had once been his mother.

Two tentacles coiled around his neck, holding him motionless against the dark ground; the back of his skull harshly collided against the base of the Tree. Nightmare's grip wasn't strong enough to choke him, but that was Dream's last concern when he managed to see the monster's silhouette ominously approaching, two other sharp tentacles aiming straight at him.

One of them stormed toward him at the speed of light, stabbing through his left shoulder.

Dream let out a strangled cry, but could do nothing to try and free himself. His arms grew number by the second, but the pain only kept increasing. He mindlessly tried to loosen Nightmare's grip with the only arm he could still move, his right one, but his hand had little to no mobility.

 ** _"A_** ** _͘_** ** _ll_** ** _͝_** ** _you_** ** _d_** ** _͝_** ** _es_** ** _͘_** ** _erv_** ** _͟_** ** _e_** ** _̷_** ** _i_** ** _͞_** ** _s_** ** _̷_** **_̢_** ** _p_** ** _͝_** ** _ain."_**

The melting appendage was taken out of his shoulder, only for it to stab through his knee and causing another stifled scream as the bone was easily broken with an audible crack. Dream could barely tell if the cries in the distance were his or not.

 ** _"Al̕l_** ** _̴_** **_̷_** ** _you de_** ** _̢_** ** _se_** ** _͟_** ** _r_** ** _͡_** ** _ve_** ** _̢_** ** _is to_** ** _͟_** **_͢_** ** _su_** ** _̕_** ** _f_** ** _͡_** ** _f_** ** _͠_** ** _er_** ** _̵_** ** _."_**

His talus was stabbed as well, and his leg began to feel numb yet still sending waves of searing pain as he tried his best to somehow avoid any incoming attack, but he could barely move. He was being held down with too much force to allow the rest of his body to dodge anything.

 ** _"I'll_** ** _̢_** **_͡_** ** _mak_** ** _̡_** ** _e su_** ** _͏_** ** _r_** ** _̀_** ** _e_** ** _̷_** ** _e_** ** _́_** ** _v_** ** _͢_** ** _e_** ** _͟_** ** _ryone_** ** _̴_** **_̷_** ** _wat_** ** _ches_** ** _͠_** ** _y_** ** _͠_** ** _o_** ** _̛_** ** _u bleed_** ** _̀_** **_͟_** ** _t_** ** _̛_** ** _o d_** ** _́_** ** _eat_** ** _̢_** ** _h_** ** _̷_** ** _."_**

His other shoulder was pierced through as well, but it became harder to scream when the coils began to slowly but surely tighten. That last stab finally drew blood, and Nightmare's already sickening grin twisted into one of pure malice, unadulterated psychopathy and hatred and delight.

He began laughing with sadistic amusement as he sent an onslaught of stabs toward what used to be his brother, piercing through his legs, his mostly broken arm, his ribcage, over and over again. He violently pierced through the side of his ribcage, and smiled maniacally as he raked down his torso, tearing fabric and destroying bones and tainting gold with red.

Numbed by utter agony, Dream was trying desperately to cough as he began to choke on blood, but he couldn't even angle his head to the side. Everything hurt too much, every inch of him; he couldn't breathe at all, he couldn't do anything to find his way into much needed air; he couldn't move, he couldn't stop the pain; everything was going black, but the pain didn't stop.

He wasn't struggling anymore.

The single, trembling arm that had been feebly clawing at the tendrils around his neck fell limply to his side, and the bleeding skeleton went almost completely silent as so did the unfortunate souls that had been forced to watch the barbarity. Nightmare stopped, contently, smile idle. His tentacles were coated in blood as he slightly lifted the seemingly unconscious skeleton, making sure he still responded, and let go of him.

Dream toppled almost lifelessly, but promptly began breathlessly coughing up blood. His ribcage felt like it was being hammered each time he coughed, compressed without pity, but he couldn't stop until a few seconds eternally passed by and he rested his head against the black ground, sprinkled in red below him.

The end kept getting away from him.

He could barely hear anything, only feel the endless, throbbing pain all over him, drift in and out of consciousness. He could still hear faint footsteps, echoing around him, too close, and he didn't know how, but he managed to barely breach his eye open. The world was a fading blur, but he still saw Nightmare circling him, looking at him. He couldn't move; nothing responded.

 ** _"_** ** _Lo_** ** _͠_** ** _o_** ** _̶_** ** _k at_** **_̴_** ** _you_** ** _͟_** ** _._** ** _͟_** ** _The o_** ** _͡_** ** _h_** **_s_** ** _͠_** ** _o_** ** _͠_** ** _p_** ** _͜_** ** _osi_** ** _͢_** ** _tiv_** ** _͘_** ** _e gua_** ** _̢_** ** _r_** ** _̡_** ** _di_** ** _͞_** ** _an,_** ** _͢_** **_̴_** ** _t_** ** _͢_** ** _he wo_** ** _͝_** ** _rld_** ** _̵_** ** _'_** ** _s_** ** _͘_** ** _la_** ** _̀_** ** _s_** ** _͡_** ** _t_** ** _̧_** **_͘_** ** _ch_** ** _͢_** ** _an_** ** _̶_** ** _c_** ** _̡_** ** _e_** ** _̀_** ** _._** ** _͘_** **_̵_** ** _Wh_** ** _̧_** ** _at_** ** _̕_** ** _a mist_** ** _̧_** ** _ake_** ** _̷_** **_́_** ** _it_** ** _̕_** **_́_** ** _w_** ** _͞_** ** _as_** ** _̴_** ** _t_** ** _͟_** ** _o cr_** ** _̵_** ** _ea_** ** _͡_** ** _te_** ** _̵_** ** _s_** ** _̨_** ** _omeone as useles_** ** _̧_** ** _s_** **_̵_** ** _a_** ** _̢_** ** _s_** ** _͡_** ** _you_** ** _̵_** ** _."_**

Nightmare grabbed him by the bloodstained collar, his body limp in his grip. Blood trickled down both corners of his mouth, down his arm, down his mutilated ribcage. He seemed to try and say something, but all he could let out was a quiet gurgle. His eye was still barely open, closing then opening again, until it threatened to close forever as he began to quickly lose consciousness.

Nightmare growled.

 ** _"Don_** ** _̷_** ** _'_** ** _͝_** ** _t_** ** _̢_** **_͟_** ** _p_** ** _́_** ** _a_** ** _̨_** ** _ss_** ** _̴_** ** _o_** ** _̕_** ** _u_** ** _̧_** ** _t!_** ** _"_**

Dream was swatted across his cheekbone, harshly, further cracking it and causing him to weakly cough up more of the red liquid that stained most of his body as he gasped for breath.

 ** _"Com_** ** _͝_** ** _e_** ** _̶_** ** _o_** ** _͟_** ** _n, i_** ** _t_** ** _'_** ** _͘_** ** _s no_** ** _̷_** ** _t_** **_fun if_** ** _yo_** ** _̢_** ** _u_** ** _̡_** ** _fal_** ** _l_** ** _asl_** ** _̢_** ** _e_** ** _͘_** ** _ep_** ** _̴ yet_** ** _._** ** _̧_** ** _Wh_** ** _͞_** ** _at_** ** _͞_** ** _w_** ** _̵_** ** _ould_** ** _͟_** ** _yo_** ** _̨_** ** _u_** ** _͡_** ** _r_** ** _̶_** **_̕_** ** _fr_** ** _͠_** ** _i_** ** _̵_** ** _e_** ** _̵_** ** _n_** ** _̶_** ** _ds_** ** _̴_** ** _s_** ** _̨_** ** _ay_** ** _͞_** ** _?_** ** _"_**

He chuckled as the others in the back wept at the atrocity they had witnessed, at their hopelessness. They couldn't bear to watch, or hear the sounds of the ongoing massacre behind them.

They felt empty.

 **_"I h_ ** **_̢_ ** **_o_ ** **_͝_ ** **_pe you'_ ** **_͘_ ** **_r_ ** **_̴_ ** **_e hap_ ** **_p_ ** **_͜_ ** **_y̨, m_ ** **_͟_ ** **_o_ ** **_́͘_ ** **_th_ ** **_̵͞_ ** **_e_ ** **_́_ ** **_r_ ** **_̵̴_ ** **_._ ** **_͟_ ** **_̧̧"_ **

Nightmare turned toward the lifeless Tree, dropping Dream like a mere ragdoll, raising two tentacles over him that aimed straight at his bleeding torso.

 **_"̛I_ ** **_͞_ ** **_fi_ ** **_͞_ ** **_x_ ** **_́_ ** **_ed_ ** **_͢_ ** **_w_ ** **_͜_ ** **_ha_ ** **_̡_ ** **_t_ ** **_͠_ ** **_you_ ** **_̵_ ** **_co_ ** **_̀_ ** **_uld_ ** **_̶_ ** **_never̛_ ** **_́_ ** **_d_ ** **_̢_ ** **_o_ ** **_̴_ ** **_riģht.̨"_ **

His manic gaze glared down at the almost unconscious skeleton he had mercilessly mutilated.

 ** _"̨_** ** _͘_** ** _G_** ** _̀͡_** ** _o_** ** _͡_** ** _̛_** ** _̵_** ** _o_** ** _͢_** ** _̛d_** ** _͞_** ** _n_** ** _͟_** ** _i_** ** _̡_** ** _gh_** ** _͘͝_** ** _t_** ** _͟_** ** _,_** **_Dr_** ** _͘_** ** _ea_** ** _͡_** ** _m_** ** _͝_** ** _._** ** _͢_** ** _"_**

A light.

A timid light shone from the base of the Tree, too small for anyone to notice.

Until it shot all over the timeline with a blinding flash.

Everyone stopped, Nightmare and the specters taken aback by the sudden glow.

All psychopathy that had defined the melting skeleton's traits was replaced by utter shock.


	24. Weight of a Broken Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody knew if it was an illusion.
> 
> Nobody knew if it was real life.
> 
> Nobody knew how or why.
> 
> But the guardian of the Tree was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this??? took so long to update???  
> what can i say, life hates me. first my computer breaks (AGAIN, pieceoffilth), then i'm faced with weeks of exams, then i don't feel like doing anything, then i randomly lose internet connection, etc, etc, stuff that only happens to me. ;-; 
> 
> well, we're back, so fasten those seatbelts, pack your tissues and hug those teddy bears tight.
> 
> also i don't have time to proof-read this right now, so if you find any typos, go ahead

The humble light that remained after the blinding flash was still awful, disgusting, and it felt like following the sun despite having waned considerably, but Nightmare couldn't take his eye off the figure it surrounded; the floating, humanoid figure completely clad in gold, the figure that hadn't been there before, the figure that kept gnawing at his mind like he had seen such thing before.

. . .

Never had he looked so bewildered. Never had he  _felt_  so shocked, not even when Dream ever dared to defy him. The entire timeline, no matter how chaotic it had been, was in rightful silence, everyone agape and not blinking once. Those in pain, those frightened out of their lives, they gazed in utter quiet without caring about the massacre around them as if it had never occurred, focused only on the golden silhouette whose light slowly washed away to reveal its traits.

The figure snapped her eyes open, white, empty, judgmental.

Nightmare couldn't help taking a step back, not out of intimidation but out of shock and disbelief. His attention was no longer on the dying skeleton at his feet, like Dream didn't exist, let alone matter anymore. The specters stared unsurely, the people they had attacked dropped their weapons in bafflement, the wounded group gaped; uncertainty surrounded every living being, leaving their incredulous minds unknowing of how to react.

Nobody knew if it was an illusion.

Nobody knew if it was real life.

Nobody knew how or why.

But the guardian of the Tree, the ancient protector, the creator of that world, the mother of positivity and negativity, was there, still coated by a gentle glow, eyes serious, hair and robe waving in nonexistent wind as she hovered over the dark earth while minuscule golden sparks surrounded her translucent body. She bore the only light in the entirety of the timeline, and it almost looked like a miraculous, impossible mirage, something that had no explanation at all and that could only be observed in absolute silence.

Nobody knew what to do.

Nobody knew what to say.

She didn't seem to expect words from anyone.

Papyrus was in utter trance as he watched with wide eyes along with the others, his mind buzzing uncomfortably with confusion and a small ache. He couldn't remember anything after having tried to save his brother, as if he had stopped existing for a moment; he didn't understand what was happening, or why they were there, or how long they had been there, or who that mystic humanoid was. It felt like he had woken up in a different dimension altogether, with his memories completely erased. Nothing made sense, and he wanted to figure out what was going on, yet all he could do was stand and watch as the unknown took place before their very eyes.

_"Who… who_ is  _that…?"_ Core muttered, barely audible, and the fright in their voice, the trauma from the previous events that led them there, was still clearly noticeable. They had intended to leave it as a rhetorical question until a baffled Arel actually replied to them, or tried to, at least; it felt like it had been awe that had taken his breath away, and not his bleeding wound. He still thought panic had driven him to hallucinate.

"T… t-that's… the… the spirit of the Tree… Their… t-their mother…"

Snapping out of his bafflement for just a moment, Sci glanced at him, then back at the illuminated figure, then back at him, "That's their  _mother_?"

Neither Arel nor Shenshe replied verbally, because none of the two knew if they were seeing things, or if their eyes were showing them some sort of distorted reality, or if the impossible was actually true. The human only gave the smallest, disbelieved nod in response before continuing to stare idly and trick his mind into believing that what he was seeing was, somehow, real.

The critical gaze without pupils of the guardian was blankly yet vividly looking at the perplexed skeleton of tar, who could do nothing but stare back. All the insanity that had tainted his traits and that sickening grin were mostly gone, leaving behind an inscrutable expression instead, and as opposed to hatred and malice, his gaze beamed nothing but confusion.

Why was the spirit of someone who had been gone for half a millennium right in front of him without any logical reason, judging him like someone who was above him?

_Why?_

_"I believe you have finally achieved this sick happiness you have been looking for. Have you not?"_

Nightmare continued to stare, dumbfounded, not even reacting to the clear tone of contempt that would have gotten anybody else killed in his presence.

_It simply could not be._

**_"...you're dead."_**  he quietly growled with faint hatred, refusing to believe that the irrefutable sight in front of him was actually there, refusing to believe he was speaking to who he thought he was speaking to, but it felt too real to be a mere hallucination, a trick, a figment of his imagination. That was why it didn't make any sense in the first place, but he couldn't deny that his single eye wasn't lying.

She ignored him, ignored his bewilderment,  _tried_  to ignore the blood that stained all four tendrils and the unmoving skeleton between the two, and only harshened her glare.  _"What have you truly accomplished… with_ this? _"_

She signaled at nothing, only made sure to coat the word with venom. Nightmare didn't bother looking around; he knew what he had done. What he was  _doing_  until certain, unexplainable ghost of someone who had quite literally died twice came back like it was something usual, stopping his delightful progress in death and destruction. And yet, even though he was still utterly puzzled, he watched the figure with less and less surprise each confused second that ticked by.

As sudden and unbelievable as it was… she was a mere ghost as far as he was concerned. A simple phantom, someone who was actually dead, and he was an all-powerful being who had already taken over everything and had no possible foes. She was a nuisance, and a phenomenon, but she was still a ghost of what she had been. He didn't understand how and why she came back, and he knew he would probably never understand to a full extent, but he wasn't about to let that be a barrier between him and his wishes. Not when he was so close to having everything he had ever wanted.

And that was why he narrowed his eye in spite as the guardian slowly drove her attention to the figure in front of her when she noticed small movement coming from it, and her heart sank into the depths of despair – visibly, too, because her defiant glare immediately softened. Dream seemed to have been rendered completely unable to breathe for a moment until he barely managed to roll to his side, heaving a single, bloody cough before going still again with a tremor.

She moved forward, ever so slightly, and Nightmare easily read her intent to take the shivering skeleton in her arms and never let go. Of course, it had to be the only reason she came back: to protect him, somehow. To try and save that wretched world, somehow.

And he would  _not_  allow it.

He still craved to watch as all life drained from his sibling, watch him turn to dust in his grasp while that fateful timeline crumbled in despair around him. Everything he had planned had been coming along swimmingly, and that spirit did not have to be there, carelessly ruining perfection. In a way, however… it  _could_  make things more interesting, albeit with a speck of annoyance.

**_"I_** ** _͜_**   ** _̨_** ** _do_** ** _͢_** ** _n_** ** _̨_** ** _'t_**   ** _thin_** ** _̷_** ** _k_** ** _͟_**   ** _͠_** ** _so_** ** _̧_** ** _."_**

Nightmare instantly knew how powerless she actually was when she proved to be able to do nothing but stop when a single tendril dragged an almost unconscious Dream close to the melting figure, only for one more to envelop his ribcage and make him silently wince.

**_"You talk about it all like you think I'd care."_** Nightmare deadpanned, a small smirk forming as he let go of the initial surprise. She was not really there, he knew that much, so even if it was something extremely unusual, it was no reason for him to stare in shock until his mind pieced what was happening together like everyone else. She was not a threat as far as he knew, and that was all there was to it.

She didn't answer, only kept glaring at him.

**_"I don't know how or why you're here, but truthfully, I have no reason to care about that, or anything else. I've already won, can't you see? Or are you too blinded by your own 'love and compassion' towards everyone? I already have everything. I don't know what you,_** **witch _, are trying to accomplish here and now, but you should already know it's useless. If I've bothered setting all of this up, it's because I_ wanted _to see it happen, and I_ will  _see it happen no matter what. This place will be destroyed whether you want it or not, and your precious sunshine child will d_** ** _̛_** ** _i_** ** _͡_** ** _e_** ** _͜_** ** _w_** ** _͠_** ** _i_** ** _̡_** ** _th_**   ** _i_** ** _͠_** ** _t."_**

All previous traits of confusion and doubt became unadulterated malice once again as he constricted the smaller skeleton in his grasp, pleased to hear his already damaged bones crackling and breaking further. Dream no longer had the strength to try and escape, nor the voice to scream his pain out. He barely moved at all, but agony was all that could be read in his expression.

Nightmare watched the guardian grit her teeth in profuse worry as she hurriedly pondered what to do with delight. He would have never thought he would literally have what once was his mother watch as he destroyed everything she had created and cared for. Killing Dream right beside the Tree was mere derision, hatred, mockery; the last thing he would have expected was the actual being appearing out of nowhere and being able to see everything. Ending the little skeleton right before her eyes… it would be too perfect.

**_"Come on._** **Do _something, m_** ** _͟_** ** _ot́h_** ** _̶_** ** _er. Did you not want to save him? But, oh, right_** ** _…_** ** _I forgot how useless you are. Maybe, then, you'd rather watch as I c_** ** _̕_** ** _r_** ** _̨_** ** _ush his b_** ** _͜_** ** _on_** ** _͟_** ** _es_** ** _̡_**   ** _͟_** ** _i_** ** _̷_** ** _nto sm_** ** _͞_** ** _i_** ** _̧_** ** _t_** ** _̵_** ** _her_** ** _̡_** ** _ee_** ** _̷_** ** _n_** ** _͝_** ** _s."_** The coils continuously tightened further around Dream, forcing a choked scream out of him, and he subconsciously struggled against the firm pressure however he could when he couldn't breathe anymore. The dryad knew Nightmare was not threatening her anymore; he really was going to kill Dream if she didn't act fast.

_"Let him go, Nightmare._ Now. _"_  she hissed, with much more fierceness than Nightmare would have ever expected from her, but he wasn't faced and gave her a defiant glare. Her worry only entertained him.

**_"Tough talk for a ghost. Why don't you back it up?"_ **

Eyes of white narrowed slowly, and after a pause, her arms slightly parted. All of a sudden, and only for an eternal second, a pulse of blinding light shot all over the timeline from her, forcing the melting skeleton as well as the specters and even several bystanders to step back as the glow threatened to burn their eyes. Immortal or not, light would always be the only thing that ever harmed Nightmare, even if not as dangerously as it had before. She was well aware of it, and relieved, too, because, otherwise… she knew she would not have the methods to drive him away.

_"You may stop now and retreat_ at once _. You will not harm anyone in my presence, or so help me. This ends here, and now."_

Nightmare growled at the audacity of even daring to threaten him, of a  _ghost_ of all things daring to threaten him, and a spur of rage wanted him to just phase through her and slice the Tree in half right before her eyes for her impudence, to show her that she was nothing compared to him, but he grinned unsettlingly instead as another thought crossed his twisted mind.

He had just realized… her presence was much more than a nuisance. It was a  _chance_. Dream's death didn't depend on whether he finished him off or not.  _She_  was the one who was slowly killing him by simply standing there.  _She_  was the one who had stopped his demise,  _she_  was the one who was hurting her son further by keeping him away from death. Nightmare saw endless chances of torment within that mere fact.

It would surely make things more interesting.

She wasn't going to just get away with it.

He loosened his grip, before fully letting go of Dream against all odds. He glanced at him as he limply toppled, unmoving, still bleeding, broken in every way, in constant pain; he shuddered and his face contorted in agony every once in a while, proving he was still conscious despite the raving torture he had undergone, but unable to react. It was a sight Nightmare had wished to witness for too long... and thanks to certain spirit, he would be able to enjoy it for even longer.

**_"Alright. You get your wish. Go ahead."_ **

The guardian hadn't expected him to go from deranged to disturbingly calm in such a short span of time, but it was his actions what made her feel uneasy. A single tendril wrapped around Dream's broken wrist, causing him to tense in pain, holding him up as the dark creature behind him smiled widely.

**_"You want him? Then take him."_ **

He was pitilessly tossed, and the guardian flinched as he hit the ground with a small wheeze, but wasted no time before gently, and immensely watchful of all his wounds, scooping him in her arms.

**_"Exactly. Keep me away from him. Prolong his suffering. He would have been dead by now, had you not interfered. You want to help him, somehow… and yet you're only hurting him further, just like those friends of his. Though… it's not like I'm complaining. Keep him for all I care. Let the pain take him away."_ **

There it was. A flinch, followed by doubt, sadness.

The fire in her glare mellowed until it was hardly powerful.

**_"Hey, after all, I did want him to die on his own while I watched and heard everybody else dying, succumbing to their worst fears. I did want to watch as he bled out right next to his beloved mommy… or, should I say, i_** ** _̶_** ** _n_** ** _̛_** ** _he_** ** _̛_** ** _r_** ** _͠_**   ** _̷_** ** _ar_** ** _͡_** ** _m_** ** _͢_** ** _s."_**

Her arms quivered as dread shot through her, and it wasn't because of Dream sporadically writhing. She couldn't help a sorrowed look at the skeleton she was holding, though hesitantly; she simply could not bear the sight. Dream's eyes were shut tightly and quivering, and he was barely breathing, something that was notably difficult and painful for him. She ached at the sight of his many wounds, especially the disastrous gash that had destroyed the left side of his ribcage and only left a path of red and torn bones.

She could not tell whether he was unconscious or not, but she did know he was still alive, and he was feeling every ounce of pain. It was fully against her will to let his suffering go on… but she would not let him die in the hands of a monster, nor let said monster watch as he let go of life. He deserved better.

She clenched her eyes shut in overwhelming grief, took a breath in, and released it with a tremor as though she was trying to let go of her inner pain with little success. There wasn't much she could do against the chaotic menace she was facing, but. . .

_"Leave."_

A mocking laugh, a taunting glare.  ** _"Make me."_**

The guardian did not falter on the slightest, fearlessly defying the skeleton.  _"I may only be a mere phantom, but I came here for one reason only. Yes, I lack all my powers… except for one that I will always retain."_ She opened her eyes, fiercely. _"I gave you both life. I can take it, no matter what you become."_

It was Nightmare who faltered instead, suddenly losing every trait of confidence in bewilderment.

_"Both of you belong to me. I am you, and you are me. It does not matter if you are at the verge of death, it does not matter if you have lost yourself. You are and will always be part of me, my very core, a core which I will always have full control of even in death. All it takes is a mere touch, and you will be gone if it is to be this way."_

Silence.

Then, a muffled, disbelieved chuckle.  ** _"You're bluffing."_**  Nightmare was trying to grin, nonchalantly and mockingly, but it was difficult for whatever reason, and it mostly looked like a nervous smile. It bothered him, causing him to scowl instead.  ** _"You're only trying to keep me away with weak lies. Why would you be able to completely destroy us when you were the one supposedly meant to keep us alive?"_**

_"…because some things are bound to get out of control. I have always known the multiverse would crumble one day, for countless reasons. Total obliteration, overpopulation, rampages… It may be a beautiful and intriguing world, but it is fragile, full of dangers, and not everyone is willing to contribute to keep its peace. It has been doomed ever since the creator died, and now that nothing is balanced anymore… it already is gone. The hazard of catastrophes like this is why I was given such task. If I am to take responsibility of you both, I must be willing to take_ full  _responsibility, and that means having the power to end what can no longer be controlled if it is irremediably required."_

Silence, again.

Nightmare couldn't act like he wasn't utterly shocked, because he was, and he knew he was. He simply couldn't pretend he was not, he was unable to get rid of that look of bafflement and, almost… intimidation, dare he say.

It was ridiculous to think about it. He was above everything. He shouldn't be  _afraid of a ghost._

And he was  _not._

**_"…liar."_** he murmured, trying to act as if he didn't care, as if he knew she was only trying to use mere tricks on him, but he couldn't hide the real, inner feeling of insecurity that was taking over him against his wishes, and it felt wrong. She was dead, she was only a projection. There was no way she could end  _him,_ an  _immortal being_ , no matter if she was the one who created him in the first place. It had to be a bluff.  _It had to be._

The guardian again closed her eyes, indifferent, as a gentle light of gold lit up in both her hands. Dream tensed in a seeming, brief spurt of pain before going still again, and Nightmare almost froze as he watched with a wide eye how that light slightly enveloped the wounded skeleton and clustered around his bloodied chest… and from his slashed ribcage emerged a grey ball of light, once golden, still connected to him by a thin trail of smoke. Its eyes were closed, strangely peacefully in contrast to the pained ones of its host. The gentle light emanating from the guardian surrounded it, shielding it from the lethal negativity that was slowly consuming that doomed world.

Nightmare had expected anything but that.

_"Does this seem like a lie to you, now?"_

He took another step back, utterly puzzled and disconcerted, and for the first time ever and even with insanity clouding his mind, the king of nightmares was actually  _afraid_. Not to the point of needing to run away or respect that cursed mother of his; it was more like fearful frustration, knowing he was actually in danger despite being immortal, unsettlement.

He could control many things. That was not one of them.

Few times had he ever been faced by something he knew he could  _not_  win against no matter how powerful he was. Could have happened in Reapertale back when it existed, perhaps, but that universe was gone along with many others and there should not be anything else powerful enough to take a life without even needing to fight, let alone the life of a being that had achieved supreme power.

_"This could have been you, Nightmare, because this is what you really are: a powerless, floating cluster of magic that needs a shielding shell to survive, a form so small so that it may be controlled in times of need, and you will always be something so meek and pitiful no matter what kind of monstrous shape you take on. I have no reason to fear you. It should be the other way around."_

Nightmare stood still, pondering what to do as the frail ball of light, enticing him to just take it out of the guardian's reach and crush it like an ant, returned to the body that still sustained its precarious life. No, there was no way  _he_ still was something so…  _laughable,_ so  _weak_ , something that could be taken as easily. He was powerful. He could do whatever he wanted. He couldn't… be defeated as easily. A mere touch? It had to be a _joke_.

His fists clenched in fury.

He had wished to see that timeline suffer and crumble like it had never for too long, and  _someone who was dead_  was ruining it. Someone who was dead was  _stopping_  him,  _threatening to take his life_ , to take the power that had taken him  _hundreds of years_  to achieve, and there was  _nothing he could do about it._

The same, boundless rage that had taken over him, that had tainted his world red when he insanely destroyed his brother's frail life, was back, his mind going ballistic and every inch of him telling him to just kill everyone in his path, but it wasn't mixed with enjoyment; it was  _pure_ rage, and he showed every speck of it. Many people noted his seething fury and backed away or shrunk in fear of him going on a rampage, but the dryad stood her ground.

**_"W_** ** _̧_** ** _ho do you th_** ** _̢_** ** _i_** ** _͟_** ** _nk_** ** _͡_** ** _y_** ** _̛_** ** _ou ar_** ** _̶_** ** _è_** ** _."_** he darkly growled, and the atmosphere seemed to change until an unknown, psychological force was trying to smother every living being within it with a deep feeling of dread. His voice dropped an octave, almost garbled, and for a moment, he reminded the puzzled skeletons and monochromatic human of the same, insane Error that had destroyed half the multiverse and nearly killed them all. A raging being, surrounded by destruction, about to kill their opposing pole, threatening  _everything_ … it was almost identical, a painful memory.

_"I think I am your barrier, the one meant to put you in your place and show you that there is no place for beings like you in this world."_  the guardian replied defiantly, heating the fire that fueled Nightmare's boiling anger and frustration.

**_"You_** ** _͘_** ** _'_** ** _̕_** ** _re_** ** _̡_** ** _a ha_** ** _͞ǵ_** ** _is_** ** _͜_** ** _w_** ** _͝_** ** _h_** ** _̛_** ** _at_** ** _͠_** ** _you_** ** _͜_** ** _are."_**  Nightmare snarled.  ** _"Why are you even protecting him?! Why bother anymore?! He's dead; everyone in this damned world is dead, a_** ** _̧_** ** _nd_** ** _̡_**   ** _t́heŕe_** ** _̷_** ** _i_** ** _͟_** ** _s n_** ** _͘_** ** _oth_** ** _͘_** ** _ing_** ** _̵_** ** _y_** ** _̡_** ** _o_** ** _̕_** ** _u can_** ** _̧_** ** _d_** ** _͟_** ** _o_** ** _̨_** ** _abou_** ** _̛_** ** _t_** ** _͢_** ** _i_** ** _͢_** ** _t_** ** _̶_** ** _!"_**

He suddenly giggled psychopathically, grinning widely, pupil shrunken devilishly. He turned to look at the others, who tensed at his look of pure insanity; even the specters took a step back at the abrupt change of demeanor, and the guardian could clearly see just how much he had lost himself. It was something she had always feared would happen: that not even he would be able to control his own power, blindly letting it became unadulterated dementia. He was dooming himself, and he couldn't see.

She didn’t even know if she would be able to retrieve him… but it would be best if he kept believing so.

**_"Oh, I get it now… It's fun to think about it, isn't it? That you're only doing this because he's sp_** ** _̷_** ** _e_** ** _͡_** ** _ci_** ** _͞_** ** _al_** ** _̵_** ** _..."_**  Nightmare laughed again.  ** _“You_ know _it's all in the mind. He's hardly even your friend at all, isn't he? You couldn't care less about him or his artsy pal. Heck, you never actually cared until they were endangered and thus endangered your precious little world. That's how it all works, right? Hah!"_**

The guardian looked at an all-too content Nightmare stoically, almost without any readable expression, before narrowing her eyes and lightly shaking her head in disbelief; she had always known he was gone, but… not  _that_ far gone. She even feared taking him out of that corrupted shell, somehow, wouldn’t actually bring him back, because there wasn’t a single speck, a single ounce of common sense or mercy within him, and his hatred towards the world was stifling, much more so than she would have ever imagined, much more so than she had ever perceived within someone. She knew it wasn’t just corruption anymore. It was his mind. It was him as a whole.

_"...who_ are _you?"_

Nightmare glared at her with an expression of psychopathy she knew would never forget. It wasn't like she would ever be able to forget anything she was hearing or seeing, but, that expression… it was more than the definition of insane, and it let her know that her real son was so far away from her reach that it felt like he didn't even exist anymore.

**_"Oh, what's this? Now you're going to disown your precious son because nothing is as it used to be anymore?"_** Nightmare cackled. ** _"Remind me to thank you for that. Honestly. It pains me to have been created by something so pathetic and oblivious."_**

Nightmare sighed, seemingly content, as he paced past the pondering guardian and circled the others, but never taking his gaze off her. Her own followed him almost mechanically, while the six shrunk as the melting creature sauntered behind them.  ** _"Tsk, tsk, tsk... you just had to ruin it all, didn't you? Being truthful, though, you_ did _make it more interesting, but..."_** Another sigh, sounding rather annoyed. **_"I take it for a fact that you're going to continue using that little light trick until we leave, aren't you? My, my, how_ rude _… Mh… this reminds me of something, though..."_**

The entire group flinched at the same time as Nightmare suddenly turned to face them, and even the specters behind them tensed slightly.  ** _"And I do believe I'm not the only one who's remembering something."_** He smiled at their reaction, again pacing around them as they tried to avoid eye contact. Nightmare could sense the hammering feeling of traumatic memories flooding around them.  ** _"Yes, I remember it clearly… It's just like a mirror, is it not? A crucial part of the multiverse's 'balance' helplessly dying, a bunch of hapless cowards mourning, a timeline in shambles… even mere light as a weapon… I wonder, where have I seen this before…?"_**

Blueberry looked at the others when he saw Papyrus tense, and heard a muffled sob escaping from Core. Neither he nor Sci had been there when the Doodle Sphere incident took place, but the way it had been described by those who had witnessed it matched the scenery all around them almost perfectly… and the expressions of inner pain of the skeleton and human did not help much.

**_"You remember now, do you not? This is exactly how it ended for the talking rainbow… Such interesting coincidences. It feels like going back in time, back when everything started…"_ **

When Papyrus shakily looked up, he didn't see a condemned Dreamtale, but the same timeline that had started it all instead. He saw the fire, the multicolored doors losing their spark and being torn to shreds, the ominous sky… he saw himself fighting along with the others… he saw an insane monster destroying everything in his path, torturing someone who only wanted to protect them, trying to take their lives… he saw and felt everyone's despair, remembered when they almost died, when Nightmare took advantage of it all, when Ink laughed in the face of death just to save them…

**_"Indeed, I figured it would ring a bell. Coincidences, coincidences… everything is a loop if you come think about it."_ **

_"And at the same time, it means you've lost."_ Core muttered, not looking at him, not looking at anything in particular, almost as if they were lost in the midst of their mind. It wasn't like they  _wanted_  to look around and see what the same monster they were talking to had done.  _"You were forced to retreat back then. It is happening again, so you've won nothing. Your only choice is to leave."_

**_"Heh. Heh heh heh, how adorable."_ **

Any trait of confidence Core sported was quick to vanish when Nightmare closed up on them, and a growl from 3 behind them prevented them from trying to back away. With force, but not enough to phase through them, Nightmare grabbed them by the collar, earning a shaken whimper.  ** _"You know, you're pretty lucky you are already dead, y_** ** _̧_** ** _o_** ** _̵_** ** _u_** ** _̵_** ** _lit_** ** _͞_** ** _t_** ** _͠_** ** _le b_** ** _̢_** ** _rat_** ** _͢_** ** _."_**

He hurled them against the floor like an object, quickly snapping his gaze towards the others before they could do anything.  ** _"Does anybody else have something to say?"_**  He ominously towered over the small figures of Blueberry, Sci, Core and Shenshe, felt omnipotent in front of the fallen Papyrus and Arel. They knew they would never be able to fight him like they had once done. Not anymore, not ever.

They all avoided eye contact, and Blueberry in particular seemed close to hyperventilating.

**_"That's what I thought."_ **

He spitefully turned away from them, from their cowering, defeated figures, to pace around the watchful dryad. Part of him still wanted him to snatch Dream right out of her hold and finish him off, but the thought of him painfully dying in his mother's arms was enough for him.  **" _Nice try, I'll give you all that… but everything you've done is irremediably foolish, when you consider the fact that you accomplished nothing in the end. I see no signs of defeat here, but rather of annoyance only. I have all the time in the world. I can start over once you're gone, because I certainly am not going to let this be ruined so blatantly."_**

Bewildered eyes blinked in confusion.

He was actually leaving…?

And yet, not even that eased the fear, apprehension. They knew everything was lost.

**_"I did accomplish what I wanted to see, anyway, and… we could all agree this has been enough for a day. Some destruction can always wait. So go ahead, have your little reunion, rejoice, cry, do whatever the hell you want..."_** His calm, nonchalant façade dropped instantly. ** _"But from now on, everything belongs to me, and everything that belongs to me will be nothing but worlds of despair. No one can stop me; fit that in your deluded minds. I_ will _be back, and you bunch will be the first to die. I can't way to see you murder each other."_**  He trailed off into an insane giggle.

He looked at Dream, barely moving anymore. The guardian could only fear more harm would come to him as she held him closer to her protectively, and Nightmare inched closer as she did so, defiantly, daring her. ** _"And you… I hope you have fun watching him die. I_** ** _͢_** ** _su_** ** _̷_** ** _rely_**   ** _̷_** ** _d_** ** _̡_** ** _i_** ** _̕_** ** _d."_**

She thought of reaching out. She thought of trying to stop him before he unleashed hell over the crumbling world, but she was truthfully afraid it would not work. She had more people to take care of, and bringing that maniac there by accident would be equally catastrophic. It took her full strength of will not to try, and instead, she mimicked his challenging glare and slowly worded,  _"Get out of here."_

Nightmare gave a content chuckle that quickly escalated into a crazed guffaw as he enveloped himself in pitch black smoke and disappeared, creating a small, cold breeze around the dryad. The specters soon followed with fanged grins, giggling like a pack of vicious hyenas, some falsely attacking the frightened villagers as they shot out of existence.

The silence was suddenly deafening.

The guardian stood still, her gaze lost, breathing in, and out… She felt cold, she felt defeated, and she was drowning in an unbearable wave of grief. She irremediably let that grief, that sorrow, that gnawing sadness take over her as she kneeled with crystalline tears, letting the unmoving skeleton lean against her, one hand supporting his back as the other stroked his scarred cheekbone.  _"Oh, my poor little one…"_

She feared he had stopped breathing for a moment, because no sound or movement whatsoever came from him, but she felt his pierced chest rise and fall, probably once every five seconds or so and worryingly lightly and slowly, as she moved her hand across his ribcage. She felt relief, but it didn't last long. She wanted him alive… but not like that. She couldn't. She couldn't stand to watch her son die in her arms, but she couldn't bear seeing him in such pain.

Everyone kept watching in utter silence, unknowing of what to do or how to react, completely disconcerted. Some people helped each other and reassured the weak or young ones, but almost without taking their fearful yet awed eyes off the figure of the mystic being that created that world hundreds of years ago, and that had momentarily saved it from obliteration. All of them, except those who had lost those close to them.

Blueberry was the first to take a careful, uneven step forth, wincing ever so slightly. Papyrus realized he was too shocked to even move and go with him, and his shoulder suddenly stung for a moment. Arel tried to stand up as well, but didn't fully rise to his feet before pain shot through him like electricity and brought him back down, his arm, clutching the bleeding wound, immediately held with care and worry by the softer, snow white limbs of his friend.

"Shoot..." he hissed under his broken breath, taking his time before attempting any more movement. Sci and Core waited patiently for him and Papyrus to find their bearings and let the pain go, though they were still focused on the grieving figure ahead. Arel was immediately soothed by the calloused hand of his grandfather, exhausted and shaken but fortunately unscathed, resting softly on his shoulder.

_"I am deeply sorry this had to happen to you... to all of you. No living being should ever have to go through something like this, and I cannot help but blame myself for not having done anything earlier. My choices were... extremely limited."_

"But... h-how are you here?" Shenshe meekly asked, voice small, timid and somewhat fraught, like she was speaking to a deity. In a way, she was. "I... I thought... you..."

The guardian quietly gave a small nod, looking down pensively.

_"You do deserve many answers, after all, for this must have been too much for you to assimilate. If it has not been explained before, now would be a good time to. As you may have noticed, the multiverse as you know it is very complex, so much that it cannot simply let go of certain things... or beings, in this case. It is a legend nowadays, that some people believe, and some others do not. When someone is heavily connected to their world, their essence will always remain within it if they are to die there."_

_"Yes..."_  Core remembered.  _"We have heard of this before, here as a matter of fact."_  They gave a quick glance at the elder behind them, who simply nodded.  _"It's what happened to Ink... except he could not actually project himself like this."_

_"Ah, Ink… he truly is worried sick."_

Heads tilted at her statement, but nobody said anything, listening attentively.

_"He could be able to, but not yet, and I doubt he will have a reason to come back by the time his chance comes. One can only reappear in their world once every five hundred years, and for a limited amount of time and only near the exact place they died in... It is the only reason this could not have been avoided or taken care of earlier, besides the fact that I cannot always know what is happening here."_

_"I see..."_  the monochromatic child muttered as Abu slowly walked past them, pacing closer to the dryad. The fact that the guardian mentioned how Ink would never have the chance to come back… they already knew where she was heading. The sooner they accepted it, the better… but the impact was no less soft.

"As much as I would want to believe so..." Abu sorrowfully started, still clearly awed and unable to believe who he was talking to, but managing to leave his bewilderment aside given the seriousness of it all and the hopeless turn it had taken. "I doubt you came back to bring any good news. Am I in the wrong...?"

Distraught gazes fell upon him before focusing back on the guardian. Everyone else but Blueberry realized what exactly could, and likely would, happen after the elder's words, and emptiness gnawed at their broken hearts. The timeline's inhabitants gathered just a little closer, enough to hear, but still far. The dryad sighed, and nobody could hope for good news to revive their shattered hopes.

_"I am afraid not. I had hoped to stop this sooner... but it simply could not be, and now..."_  She grievously looked down at Dream, her heart clenching and breaking and shattering as she helplessly watched him sporadically tense and writhe in brief but agonizing spurs of pain, and his condition seemed to worsen by the second. Had every single thing, from beginning to end, happened in Dreamtale, she knew she could have been able to save him, to save _them_ , but she could only accept it was too late.

"B-BUT... W-WE CAN STILL DO SOMETHING, R-RIGHT?"

Not everyone was willing to believe it was over, though.

Sorrowful eyes watched Blueberry as he nervously paced back and forth with tears in his eyes, breathing heavily, looking broken. "IT... IT CAN'T... WE'VE HEALED HIM ONCE, R-REMEMBER? WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE, WE CAN DO IT AGAIN, HE-"

"blue."

His panicked blathering was only stopped by a firm yet gentle hand grasping his arm, and the look he saw in his brother's pained traits told more words than he needed, more words than were necessary to tear his last hope to shreds. Papyrus knew he did not need actual words, and slowly shook his head when Blueberry's hasty breathing mellowed.

The small skeleton slowly turned to look at the dryad, hoping, begging she would contradict his sibling, but her eyeless gaze was lost, and he feared what she was going to say almost as much as he feared that madman on the loose.

_"...he will not make it."_  She almost had to cut herself short, because she foresaw her voice breaking. Her hand took soft hold of Dream's, and she tried her best not to cry as she held broken bones.  _"He will not open his eyes again. He cannot hold on anymore... and it would be nothing but cruelty to keep him alive and try to heal him."_

Cyan tears clouded the blue skeleton's eyes.

_"There is nothing that can be done at this point. No matter the intent, healing him would mean more torture, and even though his true self is relatively safe and unharmed, it cannot stay in this body nor stay out of it, for negativity is already taking over every remaining universe and would end him instantly."_

Blueberry hurried, almost hurled himself closer to her, his eyes beaming profuse grief, not even caring about his broken bone and the twinge it mercilessly shot through him when he moved too abruptly. "T-THEN WE'LL FIND A NEW BODY FOR HIM…! I-… I-I'LL GIVE YOU  _MINE_ IF WE HAVE TO!"

Few were those who didn't gape, especially because the pain in his teary voice proved that Blueberry was not hesitating at all. The dryad's eyes widened in heartfelt astonishment at his courage, and the battle against tears harshened. It hurt her having to tell him otherwise, to the point where she was quite skeptical about breaking his spirits, but she could not lie to him or anyone, especially not at that point.

_"Little one... your courage and kindness are truly remarkable, but it simply does not work like this, unfortunately. These beings cannot take live vessels; their bodies must be created from already existent ones, so as to leave them empty… like I, coincidentally, took yours as a base.”_ Blueberry blinked, but he barely paid much more attention to that fact, grief overwhelming him to the point where he could barely see past his sorrow. _“I, however… no longer possess the magic to do so."_

He didn't have a real, beating heart, nor could it be seen, but one could practically feel it stopping then shattering into a million pieces as Blueberry repeated those words in his mind over and over again against his own will. His shoulders slowly drooped, his eyes lost their spark, his head hung low as tears streamed down his cheekbones. He hiccupped several times, pretending no one else existed when soft, reassuring voices tried to soothe him. Papyrus was by his side, but he barely realized.

The guardian's translucent hand cupped his cheek and gently made him look up. In just a moment, he had become a mess of tears. _"Do not think for a second any of this has been your fault. You have shown exceptional love and care for those around you, and that in itself is the biggest help anybody could have given us.”_

Blueberry sniveled. “B-BUT… WE FAILED… WE… WE _COULDN’T_ -…” He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop his tears for reasons he didn’t even know or comprehend or understand or care about. The dryad blinked slowly.

_“Failure does not always hold defeat’s hand. Whether or not you accomplish what you were fighting for, victory or failure are not at all important. It is intention what counts. The effort, the sacrifices… the inner, unadulterated care you all bore within yourselves when you put your lives at risk for your friends, and for everyone in this now wilting world. That is what truly matters… even if, in the end, nothing of it resulted.”_

Blueberry seemed to forget that a deep ache in the depths of his soul was causing tears to cascade down his eyes when he looked up with a broken sniffle.

_“You tried. You tried with your heart, you tried to do something most people would have never thought of doing. That is what I truly appreciate. You are not to blame for any of this. I do not blame you, and you should not blame yourselves. If anything, you should be praised, because what you have done is something that you must never forget, and that will be forever stored in my heart… and Dream’s too, wherever he is to go now.”_

She slowly removed her hand from the teary cheekbone, glancing down at it as she realized how it had become more transparent than before. She knew she would have to go… but knowing she would not be able to stop what still had to come pained her almost as much as having to take her son’s life.

_“…my time here is running out. Please… do promise me you will stay by each other’s side until nothing else can be done. Unfortunately, with positivity gone, everything is now bound to crumble soon enough, but you still have some time left. Do not let your last moments be filled with despair. Treasure this company you have.”_

She was mostly focused on Blueberry as she spoke. The blue skeleton was leaning against his brother in defeat, but still managed to look up at her and nod with truthful intentions to never let go of the only thing he had left in a world that had once been his home.

“…TAKE CARE OF HIM.”

She responded to his quiet, broken voice that nobody would have thought belonged to him with a grieving smile that quickly disappeared with a sigh and the pricking of tears that never fell.

As her body further faded out of sight, she closed her eyes and placed a hand over the dying skeleton’s chest, gently pressing down as a smoke-like light enveloped her palm.

Dream winced, but the sudden pain was short-lived as, finally, nothing hurt anymore.

The darkness that had been taunting him began to envelop him, embrace him, and it wasn’t cold, but warm, welcoming.

Numbness offered him its hand, and he gladly took it, forever drifting into the first peaceful sleep he’d had since it all started. . . and suddenly, there was nothing.

The same light that had stopped the apocalypse filled the timeline once again, and they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't panic yet, there's one more chapter (and said chapter will be the absolute heartbreaker of this whole thing imo, i mean i feel like crying with just thinking about it).
> 
> alsooo... while thinking up these last two chapters, i got an idea for what could happen after this... and that idea is starting to become a story itself... so it's possible we may get a third part of this feel trip. woo(?


	25. Brothers Under the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took Dream a while to finally acknowledge her words. To acknowledge that he would be able to see those he loved again. To acknowledge that he was free. To acknowledge that, no matter how impossible it seemed, everything was real, and there were no cruel tricks in the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally done... aaaand I'm crying. 
> 
> I feel like this ended up being too fast-paced. Urgh, my perfectionism...

Peace.

He felt peace.

He didn't know how, or why, but he felt peace.

He couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't move his body. All he could do was feel... and listen. He couldn't feel his body, tell if he was breathing or not… but he knew that there was gentle warmth around him, and it felt like he was motionlessly floating in the air, free. He couldn't hear much, as for a moment it simply sounded like he was underwater, but he was sure the sound of a mild breeze was trying to soothe him.

He could almost hear something akin to a gentle, deep heartbeat… and someone, a voice so muffled he couldn’t tell if it was male, female, a child or an adult, seemingly calling his name. He couldn’t even tell if they were screaming, whispering, crying, laughing… it all sounded so monotonous.

He knew he had died. He… knew…? His mind was blurred, but he was sure of it… So why was he still conscious? Or… was he even? Perhaps he actually wasn't, and it was only his mind playing tricks on him... Was that what death truly felt like? What if he  _was_  unconscious, after all? He knew he had blacked out before he felt his life seemingly being drained out of him, and it would make sense if he was hearing distraught voices trying to wake him up, but…

No... he knew there was no way he could have survived something like that. He didn’t know what was happening to him, but he did know what _had_ happened to him.

So what explanation did everything have…?

Strangely, he felt something else aside from that slight breeze, and it was like he was slowly regaining his sense of touch again. Had he perhaps gone into a coma again? He remembered what it felt like when he woke up from one; that the world had stopped, and had to slowly start over again along with his whole body.

He felt something soft against his cheekbone, and somehow, he realized it was a hand, a gentle hand soothingly caressing his once scarred skull. He couldn't feel any pain, and it seemed like any wound that had previously broken his body was gone... which was confusingly odd. Even at the edge of closing his eyes to never open them again, he still felt insufferable pain…

It felt like he was being held… He  _was_  being held. Or at least, he was leaning against something. His torso was resting against something as soft and reassuring as the hand stroking his cheekbone, his back held by what he could only guess would be an arm. He was in someone's arms, that much he could tell…

The pieces were too scrambled. He still didn't understand what was happening.

He seemed to have regained control over his eyes again, albeit very vaguely. As he tried to relearn how to open his eyes, he realized he  _was_  breathing. He felt his chest peacefully rise and fall without strain, without the pain of broken ribs, and it felt nice. The air around him, wherever he was,  _if_  he even was somewhere, was pure.

His shut eyes twitched and quivered as they fought to open up, and he managed to just barely breach them open, just enough to see a puny fraction of the world around him, a single straight line surrounded by black.

Something, or some _one_ , rather, judging by their shape and the obvious touch of a hand, was in front of him. Or... above him? Below him? He couldn't tell which direction he was facing, nor if he was standing, or lying down, or sitting, or upside-down... The mere thought threatened to give him a headache.

As if it wasn't bad enough, his extremely limited vision was blurry, but the background seemed to be a not too bright light, a mild mixture between yellow and white, and in the middle of his field of vision stood a green figure whose traits he could barely distinguish. He could see hair, and the shape told him it was humanoid... but that was all he could see, and every second that ticked by, he understood less and less.

He blinked wearily once, twice, trying to focus. His eyes opened just a little more and the blur clouding his sight began to disappear, but he couldn't see much yet, and the gentle light was hard to properly adjust to. The traits of the person apparently holding him and looking at him became much clearer, though. He could somewhat notice the waving hair, the empty eyes, the soft smile... was that a…  _branch,_  sticking out of her forehead?

He couldn't recognize that person, and it didn't help that his mind was a complete blur. He couldn't even understand what was happening or where he was, no matter the cues he was receiving… but he soon found that he could only care about the peace, the warmth, the heartfelt love and care as the person caressed his skull, the same love and care only a mother would have...

...for some reason, that was the first and only word that came to his mind.

"...m...mo...ther..."

He just realized how he felt like he hadn't slept in years, especially when he tried to talk, and it surprised him that speech came out almost instinctually out of him. He barely even heard himself at first, and it was a couple of seconds later that he started pondering about what seemed to be the only word he had uttered in ages.

…why 'mother' of all things…?

His mother had died, a long time ago…

. . . but, so had he… right…?

The blur faded away even more, letting him see clearly again, though his eyes still refused to fully open and there were details he was still rather unsure about, especially when it came to recognizing wherever he was. The figure still became clearer and clearer, slowly, the soft smile widening ever so slightly, until he could make out every single detail in her traits. What had seemed like a completely unknown presence suddenly… became familiar…  _too_ familiar, like nostalgia itself had slapped the sleep out of him.

The warm hand cupped his cheek as he began thinking and pondering and musing and analyzing, not aware of his own conclusion just yet, trying in vain to frown and force his tired eyes to focus even more so.  _"Yes, sweetheart... I'm here."_

That voice... Not only was it peaceful and soothing enough to almost put him to sleep, but it was... extremely nostalgic, and it felt like he had heard it not even that long ago... The sound of it resonated in his mind like the voice of an angel, sending a small and silent shiver down his spine as he found himself…  _recognizing_  it…

...and the pieces of the same puzzle he thought was unsolvable just a moment ago slowly began to fit perfectly, one after the other, as his eyes finally blinked the fatigue away and they opened up in utter shock as he realized who was actually holding him.

He didn't believe it.

He couldn't believe it.

But he wanted to, but he couldn't, but he didn't care if he was dead, if he was dreaming, if he was hallucinating... he wanted to believe that the person holding him truly was–

He was definitely being held in her arms, and he tried to stand up, almost shooting upright, but he didn't have the strength to do so. "...  _mother_...?"

His breathing, peaceful not even a second ago, hitched sporadically as his mind spun into a headache and his eyes tried their best not to even blink as they stared widely at what could only be a miracle, all until tears brought the blur back, because her gentle hold and allaying voice could only be real. His chest was tingling with a swarm of emotions that made him want to stand up and cry and embrace his mother in a never-ending hug, bawling his eyes out... but they were stopped as she embraced him first, peacefully hushing him.

_"There, there… Ssh… I'm here…"_

He knew he had been about to say something right before two arms pulled him close, but he was cut short by shock and he utterly forgot what he was even thinking about. The world seemed to have stopped just for the both of them.

A small, barely noticeable light shone from the dryad's chest, and had Dream been paying attention to a detail as relatively insignificant as that, he would have figured it was what was keeping the barrage of emotions he felt from bursting out of him. The tingling didn't stop, and he was shivering… but not out of fear for just once. He knew he wanted,  _needed_ to start bawling like a maniac, but something was keeping it in… and he could not complain.

He felt fine.

Tears never fell, but never dried out of sight. All he felt was utter happiness, joyful sadness that he could only express with wide, teary eyes as his mother held him close… until he slowly hugged her back, wordless, almost in disbelief... until his tears broke loose, and his eyes shut tightly as he inevitably sobbed.

He was hugging his _mother_.

And she was right  _there_.  _With him_.

It couldn't possibly be fake, it couldn't possibly be a hallucination.

It had to be real...

Please, let it be real...

_"My little one... I missed you..."_

Her embrace felt like a warm shield full of love, and Dream couldn't even utter a single word; the fear of bursting into a pitiful bawl stopped him, and he was almost paralyzed by heartfelt euphoria. It took him a few seconds to bring himself to say something as he cried silently; he frankly didn't want that moment to end, and if he had a choice, he would have chosen to stay like that for the rest of eternity.

During that small moment, that small moment that felt like a million, miraculous years that had no reason to end, he realized he had never hugged his mother. He had seen her, he had spoken to her… but they had never been so close. In fact, the closest he had ever been to her was back when he and his brother were free, when they would sleep right beside the Tree every night. He guessed… that proved he was dead, right…?

"H...h-how..." he whimpered, tears stinging his eyes at that point, but he didn't care.

He was silently upset when Nim broke the hug to have him look into her eyes, devoid of pupils but full of emotion. She set him down, and it felt strange, because he almost couldn't feel his legs, but he didn’t care. She gently wiped his tears off, and he could see, he could _feel_ how she was just as, if not more, gleeful to see him again. 

At the same time, though… she also looked rather worried.

_"Dream… we have a long story ahead of us, and I know this may be too sudden for you after what happened. Do you need to wait? Or you willing to know where you are before anything else?"_

He didn't care.

His mother was there.

He could have been sent to some sort of hell for all he cared... his mother was there.

He sniveled, almost unable to look at her in the eye, because it simply felt so surreal, so impossible... so miraculous... He nodded, weakly, and she smiled at him, reassuringly. That smile alone… It was full of love, of heartfelt care, and it only took that to soothe him, to let him know that he was safe, that he was free.

But then it disappeared, slowly.

_"…you have died, Dream."_

And any trait of happiness he sported between the tears disappeared, too.

He had figured that much… but he didn't want to believe it. Where was he, then…? And why did he feel alive? Was he a ghost…? And where were the others? What had happened to them? He just realized he had failed them, abandoned them… abandoned them against Nightmare… How long had he been dead? Had it just happened? How had his mother even found him there? The last thing he heard had been his brother about to finish him off…

The amount of questions was almost overwhelming.

_"We may feel alive, but we do not exist anymore. This is not any kind of timeline or a separate world… but an afterlife. This is where every single being that dies ends up in… and it is quite full by now, I'm afraid."_

She slowly shifted to the side… and how Dream never noticed what lied behind her was beyond him, because it was a sight that would catch any eye with an iron grip. Eyesockets widened almost involuntarily, and he almost found himself gaping.

Both of them had been standing on a vast yet low hill, and ahead of him… ahead of him were countless monsters and humans, all of them from different, long gone universes, all getting along just fine, talking and playing and pacing around and coming in and out of a rather large trench in the ground like everything was alright with the world, like it was a playground, a mere meeting place.

He recognized most of those… and he knew they had died. Some, he even knew how; most of those were from universes Error had destroyed in front of his very eyes during that fateful rampage. Seeing them again… and knowing all the others around them had died too… it felt like a punch straight to the heart he didn't have.

It was the sheer amount of them what hurt him, more than anything. Every single critter from universes he didn’t even know existed, from little Temmies to all forms and shapes of the imposing Asgore, were all there. Universes he knew were once completely broken were just fine, and their respective inhabitants were simply having fun with their long lost families.

He didn’t know if he liked the sight or not. They seemed relatively happy, but… they were actually gone… every _single_ one of them…

He stammered something before actually bringing himself to speak, "T-they… t-they're all… dead…?" His voice broke, and his breath hitched when an arm was reassuringly placed on his back as Nim shifted closer to him. 

 _"Indeed, they are... Some of them due to natural causes, some of them due to fights, most others… well."_ Met their demise at the hands of either Error or Nightmare was what she wanted to say, but those details would be better saved for later on…

Dream seemed about to say something in response, but kept it in at the last second and simply stared with a wide, disbelieved gaze, contemplated the impossible sight right in front of him. And… he couldn't help but frown after a moment of observing.

People from the same universe got along, obviously, but… the inhabitants of hostile universes and rogue troublemakers were coexisting peacefully with everyone else as well, like they had always been the best of friends. People from Underfell and similar universes socialized just fine with other, more peaceful monsters and humans, usually hostile beings like the Sans from Dusttale amongst others got along well with those they spoke with…

Of course, he wouldn't say it was not a nice sight, but… why? Murderers and victims seemed to be able to coexist without any trouble. Even Fresh was seen prancing around everyone with his skateboard, but he wasn't disturbing them and they all seemed perfectly content with his presence, strangely enough. He seemed to be having fun…  _genuine_  fun, like a little toddler running around in an imaginary race.

"They're… friends now…?"

Nim briefly looked at him, stoically, before focusing on the sight ahead of them with him.  _"This is a complicated world in many ways, hard to understand, and both fair and unfair, depending on how you look at it… It can be referred to as a place of redemption, an extremely merciful purgatory if you may, housing both good and evil equally.”_

Dream blinked once before glancing at his mother, almost hesitant to tear his sight away from the people ahead of him. Despite…  _unnerving_ , in a way, it was almost hypnotic… He was still too lost to understand what was truly going on or how it was possible, so he figured the only way he could ease his mind was by tagging along.

He was dead. Everyone around him was dead. And they seemed to be friends or at least accept each other all of a sudden. That was his new reality… if it could even be called reality, anyway.

_"For a place that has to hold the entire multiverse's population at once, in the same space, it requires a different balance, because friends and enemies are forced to coexist here, and they no longer have their own space, their own worlds. This balance is accomplished by letting everyone retain their memories, remember their past life and everything they ever did… but not letting evil exist. Everyone remembers what they did, but not entirely why. This, thus, gives them a second chance, and let them go back in time, back when they were happy… as long as those around them are willing to understand. After all… no one is born evil."_

Slowly, and after pondering, Dream looked back at the others. He did notice how some of them ignored each other or stayed away and whatnot, but those who had once caused trouble and even taken lives were fairly well accepted.

…he remembered everything he went through. And it wasn’t precisely nice to remember all those lost battles, all that suffering… it wasn’t nice to remember how he died, how there was more red than any other color on the same attire he still retained. Was that… supposed to make him realize something? He could only think about all the people that had gone through things similar to him… how scarred they had to be…

He noticed Nim hovering away through the corner of his eye, but he found himself still, endlessly looking at people he thought he would never see again.

_"For a place as complex as this is… it does a nice job at letting everyone adjust sooner than later, at least. That trench up ahead is the Underground, exactly as it originally looked like, except certainly bigger… and this open space you see is none other than part of Ink's timeline. Speaking of… perhaps you should talk to him."_

He froze, and his attention was instantly taken away from the humans and monsters, no matter how intent he had been on watching their renewed demeanors towards one another. He turned around with wide eyes– and he was almost taken aback enough to stumble back in shock. He truly didn't know what he was expecting to see aside Nim standing there, as he was still getting used to that world…

…but he definitely had not expected to see the Tree a few feet behind her. Untouched, and full of life again… except fruitless.

_"Oh… and perhaps our village is back too. Most of it, at least…"_

Nim smiled innocently, quickly catching that spark of excitement shine through golden eyes. She couldn't blame Dream for standing completely still, eyes panning between her and the Tree and what little could be seen of the village behind the hill. Perhaps she should have told him that before… but seeing his eyes spark with life again made up for it.

She sighed a soft laugh as she hovered closer to the perplexed skeleton.  _"I know this is a lot to take on all of a sudden… but I am fairly certain talking to Ink and other friends will ease that feeling. Will it not?"_

It took Dream a while to finally acknowledge her words. To acknowledge that he would be able to see those he loved again. To acknowledge that he was free. To acknowledge that, no matter how impossible it seemed, everything was real, and there were no cruel tricks in the way.

And when he did, tears welled in his eyes as he smiled, smiled with genuine joy after months of torment, smiled like he had always had, and his eyes began to quiver as he nodded.

He had everything he loved back…

… _almost_ everything… But…

His thoughts were cut short as he suddenly found himself being carried in his mother's arms, one holding his legs and the other supporting his back. He only realized he'd actually been too shocked to move.

_"Let us not keep them waiting, then… mh?"_

He smiled.

Then laughed softly.

Then both laughed softly, a single tear streaming down the skeleton's cheek as a loving nuzzle told him he was safe... he was home.

* * *

It was funny.

It was so.  _Funny._

It was especially funny how little he felt, how incomplete, insignificant, worthless, everything those around him were supposed to feel, not  _him_. Even the mere figure of him standing idly would be imposing, intimidating for anyone who crossed paths with him, and it had rightfully been that way not even that long ago…

But who was there to deem him imposing anymore? Not like he was trying to be, anyway. What for? He was alone. Completely, and utterly, alone.

He could only accept it, accept that new reality that had stricken too suddenly for his own liking with a disturbing silence that wouldn't end, proof of what he had always been trying to deny, a blatant reminder of what he had done that smiled at him with the same perversion that was plastered on his own grin when he freely tormented those around him.

It was something he knew would never get out of his mind; he had already done everything he could to shift his thoughts to something else without much success, tired of that sourness, but how could he? One moment he was on top of everything, the next he was nothing, lower than dirt.

It had been exactly another five hundred years since what was left of the multiverse became an era of terror.

A little less since he was left alone.

Just to  _think_ of what he had accomplished, of the time it took him to climb so high… and to be forced to admit that he had made everything collapse…

It was  _so_ funny to remember the close past, remember how he had been able to torment those worlds for years just like he had always wished to, watching people kill each other and themselves, lose their minds, forget their friends and families, fall into the depths of despair their souls had been turned into, all without any trace of positivity... and those had been the greatest centuries Nightmare could remember.

He would have never expected the end to come so abruptly, to crush him like he crushed those beneath him.

He was still wondering how he never noticed something was too wrong, that time seemed to have slowed down all of a sudden. The last universe that stood had been a once cheerful one, some sort of Candytale replica that he couldn't exactly remember in detail, but he would have never guessed so. Once its inhabitants had completely given up, unable to mourn any more, Nightmare decided to search for the next timeline before finishing them off... but jokes on him, there was no next.

There never was any next.

While he made sure every single inhabitant succumbed to their worst fears, the multiverse had simply stopped, like clockwork with no gears. The downfall of that timeline meant the downfall of everything else, the extinction of life itself, and he never realized until it was too late. If anything, that monochromatic child and whoever else had had the misfortune of succumbing to the CORE were still around, but Nightmare never saw any of them ever again.

And so it was, just like that; there suddenly was nothing, no one, all gone. There was nowhere to teleport to, aside from those special places such as Dreamtale, the Doodle Sphere and the Omega Timeline that still remained, albeit broken, dark, devastated… and Nightmare still remembered himself standing still in shock and disbelief as the last living universe crumbled around him.

The multiverse was supposed to keep producing, keep itself alive even with bland ideas or more replicas… but it never did, and Nightmare never knew why. It was then when he actually heard the silence, and cursed his own existence.

Being immortal was suddenly a curse.

It hadn't even been that long ago since it all went to hell, in comparison to the span of his reign of terror; a few years, not even reaching decades, for sure, but he still hadn't quite assimilated it, and he was positive he would never accept it.

Well, he really did have all the time in the world to think it through, didn't he…?

He heaved an empty laugh directed at no one but himself as he pondered, still wandering aimlessly. Not even he knew why exactly he had gone back to Dreamtale, but there he was, and it was even funnier, because he didn't bother to look at everything that had once made him smile and laugh before, and if he did, it would be with a one-eyed look of apathy.

He just realized he hadn't been there since the multiverse collapsed…

Coming back gave him a completely different point of view of it. The burnt down houses and blood and dust used to make him rejoice, reminisce the good times back when his vengeful desires were finally allayed. Now, they brought nothing out of him, not even a crooked grin. He walked past everything like it didn't matter at all.

He clearly remembered the day he killed them all, the day he fully sealed the multiverse's fate. His favorite quartet had stayed there for some time, unknowing of where else to go or what else to do, still grieving, just moments before all positivity was fully taken over by darkness. They all looked so naïve, thinking they could  _still_  fight back… of course, the results of their last stand were chaotic.

Two brothers killed one another, victims of mind control; a scientist was ambushed by countless sword-wielding skeletons; a ghostly child ran away in sheer terror to never return. The whole village was mercilessly massacred by hundreds of specters that showed no mercy or remorse as they let blood and dust sprawl all over the collapsing, burning town, and showed much more efficiency than ever before. The sight had been even more enjoyable than his first attempt… if only he could have killed Dream with no interruptions as well.

He truthfully wished he could go back in time. Not only to relive everything again, but because being utterly alone was not something he wanted, something he wasn't comfortable with, something that made him feel empty and useless. And yet, he knew he was stuck with nothing and no one, and he would be for the rest of his endless life.

 _Karma strikes hard, and whatever_ ; it was the only thing he told himself.

Deep down, he knew he couldn't just laugh it off.

The timeline felt as lonesome as the monster walking through it was, silence overwhelming. Nightmare had wanted that universe in particular to remain so he could go back there in times of boredom and reminisce what he had accomplished, but there simply was no joy as he walked through the desolated village anymore.

He stopped pacing, gaze low. It was almost unnatural how defeated he looked, and he was fully aware of it, but he didn't care, because there was nobody to be bewildered about it but himself. He had started to feel strangely tired not long ago, like any action, even something as simple as walking, was a burden. He refused to let that take over him and do nothing, though. That would mean he was weak, useless.

He wasn't weak.

_He wasn't._

But it was no lie that he depended on others to obtain power; no life equaled to no strength, and he knew one day he would be too weak to even move. He knew his power was already dwindling; he had noticed when he simply couldn't muster the will to teleport somewhere and preferred to stare into the dark horizon of his timeline.

He felt pathetic.

He slowly looked to his right, to the mere stump barely sticking out of the scorched ground. He had made sure to completely obliterate that damn plant right out of existence, yet he wished it was still there, just to have something to break… What little was left of the Tree as well as the black earth around it was still sprayed with his brother's blood. He also wished Dream was still there, only to have someone to wring screams out of.

He couldn't help but realize that what he was helplessly going through was the exact same warning Dream had given him during their last faceoff: that the multiverse would end if everyone lived in despair for too long.

It was inevitable; he would have never listened, would have never been in any mood to openly listen to his brother's blathering, would have never deemed his words worthy of his attention. He would have never believed him, and funnily enough, that was the one time he should have listened to him, and he had been paying the consequences of his sadistic ego for too long.

_What will you do once you have control over the multiverse?_

_You'll be alone, and unable to ever die as well._

_You're destroying yourself like this!_

**_"Tch."_ **

He spitefully walked away, and he had already begun pondering whether or not to destroy his own timeline before unadulterated rage took over him, since there was nothing else to do, and there would never be anything else to do. He really needed to vent his fury on something, anything, or else he knew he would vent it on himself. He had killed his own army when he realized the multiverse would no longer function, all without thinking twice; something had broken within him, he knew. He was not stable, he knew. He was completely insane, he knew.

There were times where he couldn't control himself at all.

That was why he needed something,  _someone to break–!_

He had never felt like creating more of those specters again. He simply didn't find the point; he needed to feed off despair, and those dark skeletons would not suffice. Even though clueless when created, they were made out of dark energy, and neither physical nor psychological damage affected them the same way it would affect anyone else. Nightmare did try not long before obliterating them all, out of desperation, but nothing.

He had doomed himself.

That was all there was to it.

And he would never–

_"Are you still happy?"_

He actually flinched – flinched with ice cold chills, and it just felt so unnatural, but somehow not enough for him to question why he'd been  _afraid_  for just a split second. He'd berate and belittle himself for letting anything startle him when he should have been the first to intimidate the life out of any living being around him, but there were more important things in his mind.

It had been so long since he had heard a voice that wasn't his own. In fact, he was fairly convinced the last he heard were the screams of those dark skeletons; if he had something to say, only his mind would know. If there was one thing he feared, it was going completely crazy, crazy enough not to even know what he was doing, and talking to himself was the first step towards insanity.

For a moment, he didn't wonder who the voice belonged to or why it was there; he simply let his mind be mesmerized by the sound, a sound that seemed otherworldly, like it simply didn't belong. It felt so off, and even more so when the pieces began joining together and he finally questioned who on Earth could be talking to him.

It didn't take him long, however, to recognize that slight echo, the soft intonation, and he already had a faint idea of who was speaking, but all he could think of was…  _why._  In a way, it made sense, but it didn't.

 ** _"Hello, Nim…"_** he tiredly deadpanned, almost disconcerted at the sound of his own voice. Not having spoken a word in years, at least as far as he could remember, took a toll on his tone, as well as his lost strength. He no longer sounded menacing, or ominous. No need to be. He simply sounded tired, careless. Almost like someone else entirely.

Indeed, he saw who he thought he would see when he finally turned around, and he flinched again at the meek light emanating from the dryad. How long had it been since he didn't see any source of light? He was sure he hadn't ever since he destroyed Dreamtale. He hadn't caused more explosions ever since; too much of a quick, boring way to end things.

That was why that light burned for several seconds.

Her presence just felt completely out of place, ethereal, much more so than the first time she had materialized there. He couldn't even think properly, and he almost forgot what she had even said. All he did was stare. Stare, but not with the fierceness he had glared at her when she first appeared in the same exact spot, not even close; his eye showed nothing but apathy, barely any surprise. There was no threat to be seen in his gaze.

Nim noticed quickly. She noticed his look and stance before she noticed the utter destruction and darkness around her.

_"Is this what you really wanted?"_

Nightmare regarded her for a few seconds before turning away, and something stirred within him.

_Anger._

Not the type of anger he accumulated himself, at his own will; it was the type of boundless rage that took control off of him, his inner insanity turning against him, and he knew she was probably there to make fun of him. Normally, he would have mocked her for being too late, for not doing anything… but he just didn't feel like it.

He would have berated himself for that too, but he didn't feel like it either.

 **" _What kind of senseless game are you playing?"_** he muttered, still not quite managing to sound as menacing as he would have liked to. It still felt strange to talk to someone.  ** _"Why do you always appear when not needed? Are you still trying to make yourself look useful? Give me a break."_**

The dryad sighed quietly. Nightmare not once looked at her, and she knew it wasn't just because of the light emanating from her. He was weak, she could tell. His aura, once powerful and stifling, was small, barely dangerous. He knew that as well, but he hadn't cared as much as he would normally have because there was no one around to realize that he had lost. He felt… small.

_"An explanation for my actions would be unnecessary at this point. Not like you would be willing to listen."_

Nightmare still didn't face her. He really wanted her to leave; she was not the kind of living being he needed, and he was not about to tolerate any mockery… but what could he do, anyway? He didn't even know if she could take damage, and he didn't exactly feel like trying to attack. Besides, light was the last thing he wanted to deal with, and one part of him would rather bear mocking jeers.

_"However, there might be one thing you would like to listen to."_

The tar skeleton frowned, but still didn't look at her.  ** _"Oh joy. Please, do brighten up my day. Thanks for waiting half a millennium to tell me something I surely don't need to know."_**

Her gaze remained stoic. _"…I can tell you have given up. Long ago. I can tell you are lost… you barely know who you are anymore."_

Nightmare tensed, and the urge to destroy something came back. The fact that he didn't do so immediately, or even tried to threaten her, told his mother countless things, many of which she was eager to hear. Five hundred years ago, she spoke to a lost cause, a being of pure malice and hatred she could hardly recognize. Now… she was _almost_ speaking to someone she knew better than anybody in the world.

He did look at her askance, scowling.

" _And seeing as there is nothing for you in this world anymore… perhaps now you would be more willing to leave."_

Nightmare paused, thoroughly analyzing her sudden words, and it was only then that he remembered what she was somehow able to do. It just came to his mind how mostly powerless he would be to stop her if she decided to do something stupid… but he wasn't about to let that take over him.

Show weakness? Not even in his dreams.

He had fallen low; he was not going to plummet any lower.

That was when he finally turned around, slowly, in disbelief. He squinted as the light threatened to burn his vision again, but he ignored it until he could clearly see the hovering figure of what had once been his mother. He intently looked at her, trying to decipher her true intentions. She was looking back at him, unblinking, and he actually began to wonder if he was hallucinating.

 ** _"Did you seriously come back… to_** **k͢i̵l̨l me̢ _?"_** he growled, and he promptly and subconsciously regained that ominous intonation that made him the fierce, merciless being he had been just a few years back. He was really tempted to prove whether or not she could take damage. Perhaps it was the last, relatively fun thing he would do in his life.

Yet much to his surprise, the guardian lightly shook her head, not feeling threatened at all.  _"No. I came back to give you a chance."_

The tar skeleton blinked, scowl slowly fading into an unreadable and blank expression. He almost wanted to burst into a laugh, but it caught him too off-guard. A  _chance_? A chance for  _what_?  _Why?_ After mercilessly murdering her son and destroying the entire world? Not to mention she could most likely overpower him, no matter how much he wanted to deny so. Why was she so… calm, and _forgiving_ of his actions?

Oh, she was Dream's mother alright…

 ** _"A chance."_** he deadpanned.  ** _"You want to give me a chance. For what, exactly? You're doing this out of spite, aren't you? You just want me gone, huh? Because really, what else could you possibly do? 'Willing to leave'? I seriously doubt there is much to do after you die."_**

He was honestly surprised at the small, barely noticeable, crooked smile on the guardian's face.  _"If only you knew…"_

Nightmare's eyes slightly widened, showing mild interest for whatever she was aiming at.

 _"There is much more to death than you may think. Why do you think I am still able to come back? There is a whole other world out there, somewhere… and there_ is  _someone willing to have a word with you, if you do accept to come with me."_

Of course there was.

 ** _"Sure. Good luck with that."_** Nightmare huffed, turning away again. It could be a trick for all he knew. Surely she couldn't just be willing to forgive him after what he did… She just wanted to end his existence. It was the only plausible option.

And, for some reason... that didn't sound entirely  _bad,_ considering his current state…

He saw the light shift as the guardian moved slightly ahead, looking into a dark horizon and not at heartwrenching destruction.  _"Even so… what else is there for you?"_ Nim turned around to stare at the aloof monster. She was sure he saw him slightly shift, and she knew she had his attention.

_"Your selfishness has corrupted this world, and now there is nothing. Nothing to entertain or sustain you. What were you planning to do? Wander aimlessly for the rest of eternity? Eventually, these worlds will fade away as well, and you will be living in oblivion."_

Nightmare gave her the smallest of sideways glances.

" _I may only come back here once every five hundred years, which is why I am here now… so make your choice, because perhaps, by the time I come back once more if you refuse now, you could have already succumbed to the same insanity that has turned you into something you are not, and you will be forever doomed."_

He slowly looked away after a pause.

_"You are immortal, but I am the only one who can take you away. You already know what it is like to live in despair… so there is no reason for me to torment you for any past events. Take this freedom while you can. You can start over, or you can stay here forever."_

The guardian couldn't remember a time where Nightmare had been so ponderous.

The one thing he couldn't deny was that she was right, but he couldn't just  _give up_  and let her have her way, could he? That would be as senseless as giving up against Dream, and he was  _not_  willing to do that… how could he intentionally fall so low?

Then again, it had only been a few years since he had been left alone, and he was already weak and desperate, fighting against himself, against his corrupted mind that had done nothing but constantly betray him. He knew he would be a lost case in half a millennium…

_But…_

Truth was, he didn't want to live in a world where he could do nothing but wish he could go back in time. He wanted to do something, and if the only future he had was the future of someone who held no control over his own actions. . .

He sighed profusely, eye closed.

He didn't understand his own reasoning, and he didn't even understand why he said such thing, but he did, and he accepted anything the world had left to throw at him.

He had won, and he had lost. He had done everything he ever wanted to do. If thought thoroughly… he didn't want anything else anymore.

**_"…just do what you have to do…"_ **

* * *

It was peaceful, yes… but it also was sad.

The sight.

There was a rocky area about a mile away from the Tree, an area Dream remembered very well… That large ravine that had formed in the Doodle Sphere all those years back was there as well, curiously enough. Over the course of several years, he had come to learn that things that marked someone, or something, stayed with them like scars, especially when it came to their appearances, like Geno's or Error's, and that almost fateful place was one of those scars.

Except, it wasn't a desolated place, a dark abyss with no visible bottom and full of strings of code that defined the end of a world anymore, a place that would make anyone feel like they had reached the absolute end; instead, it extended seemingly endlessly, and the bottom was bright, like a sea of pure light… and it used to outlook the multiverse as it was, as it truly looked like seen from a completely different perspective.

It was an ethereal cluster of bluish balls of light, branching from a bigger, brighter one in the center, the alpha timeline itself. At least… it used to be. The sight, which Dream thought would have been hauntingly beautiful once, was heartwrenching. Not even that long ago, only about seven out of countless lights remained, all of them worryingly dim.

It had collapsed not long ago, leaving only an empty space.

The multiverse was no longer.

There were day and night cycles in that world, somehow, and while the area was beautifully casted by the light of the sunset, not even its beauty let Dream smile as he gazed at the infinite ocean of light. He almost wanted to cry… especially when he remembered how tough the multiverse’s disappearance had been for some people, especially for Ink. It would be about time to check up on him…

He only regained his smile when he heard his mother’s voice calling for him from the near distance; she had simply said she had to go somewhere important. She seemed eager… yet worried.

"Coming mo-! ...ther..."

He stopped, smile dropping completely, and not even he realized he had gone in shock.

There was a small figure behind Nim. A small figure that looked too much like him, desperately hanging on to her robe like it was a lifeline. His thought process had run at the speed of light the moment he turned around; first, he'd thought she was alone. Then, he almost mistook that cowering figure behind her for Ink, or Blue. Then, he passed it off as his imagination upon seeing colors that he hadn’t yet seen there.

Then… his mind put two and two together, but he was still… pondering…

…there was no way… right…?

After a small smile, Nim slowly hovered to the side… enough to give away the figure of who was taking shelter behind her; the little, shaken skeleton clad in dark purple was heavily reluctant to let go of her dress, but was given no other choice, and he suddenly felt completely unprotected. His almost crouched stance showed nothing but fear, apprehension…

There was silence.

Complete and utter silence.

Nightmare quieted his own, shallow breaths as he acknowledged the figure a few feet ahead after nervously gazing around him, like he was expecting a horde of monsters to come after him… and he froze as well. He could have sworn he felt the heart he didn’t have skip a beat and drop.

His mind simply stopped responding. He couldn’t move; he just… stood there, as still as Dream, unknowing of what to do, but… he felt like he shouldn’t be there… he felt like… _he didn’t even know_ … he was backing away before he even realized.

Silent tears were suddenly pouring out of his younger brother's eyes when he realized that what was in the near distance was not a hallucination, or a trick, or a ghost, anything he had ever seen before that had broken his heart in more ways than one. It _was_ his brother. His _real_ brother. Right there, with him, stepping away from him–

_"NIGHTMARE!"_

He ran. He ran faster than he thought was capable of as golden tears clouded his eyes, almost tripping over himself, and he pulled his brother into a tight embrace that nearly sent them both tumbling to the ground. It was then when a huge, endless chill ran all the way down his spine as both made contact.

Nightmare went even stiller in pure shock as his brother bawled his eyes out; his own eyes were wide, and he almost forgot how to breathe. What was breathing? He didn't know whether or not he was simply seeing things... but the utter love and sadness radiating off Dream as he hugged him told him otherwise, yet it was too surreal, too...–

"I thought I'd never see you again..." Dream whispered, voice broken, sobbing uncontrollably as tears rolled down his eyes like waterfalls of gold. He was shaking, and for the very first time while his brother was present, he wasn't shaking out of fear, but having fallen victim to a sea of emotions that filled his heart with joyful sadness.

It took him a moment to realize he _truly_ was hugging his brother, and his eyes shut tightly as he acknowledged that fact. He didn’t want that moment to end. It couldn’t end. He never even thought about how his brother had been taken there. Truthfully… it didn’t matter… they were…

…they were _together_ …

Nightmare had burst into tears himself before he was even aware of it, trying hard to comprehend why this was happening… but he never found a reason to care enough before he found himself vehemently hugging his brother back as unbridled emotions took over him.

The chills grew stronger, colder.

Vision completely clouded by an ocean of tears, Dream barely looked up at his mother, standing behind them with a loving smile that he returned as he sobbed uncontrollably. He only found out… that he barely remembered the last time his brother had spoken to him with a voice that was not the personification of fear.

“…please don’t let go…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, this ends... but it doesn't!
> 
> There will definitely be a third part of this feel-trip, so I hope you have some tears left, because no story is part of this series if it doesn't consume your heart. uwu
> 
> This was originally going to be a little longer, but I decided to keep any other scene for the next story, so this was left as a sentimental cliffhanger. ;~;


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